


Love on Detours

by crazyzaika



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family Drama, Love, Pregnancy, Romance, Unplanned Pregnancy, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 17:44:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20295478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazyzaika/pseuds/crazyzaika
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia lives with her sister Michelle, her cousins Mirajane and Lisanna with her grandfather. Together they all have a quite peaceful life in the temple. If only there wasn't her friendship with Natsu. Nobody from her family likes him, everyone hates him and thinks that he has a bad influence on her as Kobun, the son of Oyabun Igneel Dragneel. [RL-AU]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Summary: Lucy Heartfilia lives with her sister Michelle, her cousins Mirajane and Lisanna with her grandfather. Together they all have a quite peaceful life in the temple. If only there wasn't her friendship with Natsu. Nobody from her family likes him, everyone hates him and thinks that he has a bad influence on her as Kobun, the son of Oyabun Igneel Dragneel. Until now she always thought that this was simply a hair-raiser, but then a harmless party ends with fatal consequences.  
Rating: M - Smut, Violence, Bad Language  
Pairings: Nalu, Gajevy, Gruvia, Miraxus, Hints on NaLi, IgGran, WenRo, Jerza  
RL-AU

**Chapter 1**

She heard the drone in her ears, distorted her lips and buried herself deeper in the warmth that enveloped her, rubbed her nose against warm skin and sucked the bitter scent of aftershave into her lungs. It was so comfortable here. She clearly didn't want to get up. And then ... slowly it came through to her what she felt.

_Naked skin?,_ thought Lucy and opened carefully an eyelid. Her heartbeat accelerated as she stared directly at a well-trained chest. She blinked and stopped breathing. Was that a joke? As carefully as possible she looked up and at the sight she saw, her heart almost stopped in shock. He slept deeply and firmly, absolutely peacefully and definitely deeply relaxed. The first rays of sunshine pushed through the dark curtains and made the pink hair shimmer. She swallowed, feeling her dry throat. She felt like she had a furry animal on her tongue and knew she had definitely drunk too much yesterday. Redness spread across her cheeks as she carefully lifted the blanket and pressed her hand in front of her mouth to suppress a panic squeak. They were naked. Burning redness lay on her cheeks and she panicked. How much to the fucking ass of heaven had they drunk yesterday that a One Night Stand between them ... a buzz penetrated her ears and then she was pulled by two slightly scarred arms to a warm, naked body. She pulled in the air sharply and did not dare to move. Her heart hammered painfully against her ribs and she felt him moving again. He pushed one leg over hers and pulled her closer to himself. The redness on her cheeks became stronger and she felt his best piece ready and clearly pressing against her stomach with a morning boner. Lucy's eyes widened in panic and very carefully she raised her head. He was still asleep.

_Okay ... just don't panic ... it's not even sure if we ... really ... too. Gaaaarrrr, come on, calm down. You just have to wiggle out of his embrace and get out of bed. And act as if nothing happened. He certainly doesn't know anything more about yesterday ..._, she thought and swallowed lightly. Natsu was strong and she had already slept over a few times. He had the habit of cuddling and especially when he had been drinking he became affectionate. They had never been naked in bed before, but with best friends it wasn't surprising, was it? They were just best friends, understood each other without words and ... Sex was actually no option. She didn't find Natsu bad in itself, really not, but this friendship was simply too important to her. It was too important to her to want to risk it with sex. Lucy gently loosened the grip of his arms and carefully pulled her legs out between his. Her heart pounded to her neck as she slowly crawled to the edge of the bed, trying not to make a sound or wake him up.

She looked around and saw one of the large pillows lying on the floor, then shuddered, and before he could wrap his arms around her again, she pressed that pillow into his arms. Just in time, because his arms closed around the pillow like a reflex. He frowned and growled softly and Lucy froze. However, he didn't wake up and she climbed out of bed as quietly as if she had committed a crime and now had to flee. Hastily she picked up her clothes and put on her uniform again. She saw her bag, checked if everything was there, then she tiptoed to the room door. At the door she looked at him again and pain burned in her heart as he lay there and embraced a pillow. The light almost made his hair shine and fine dust fluff flew around, shining through the morning sun. She bit her lower lip, then she pushed herself through the door, closed it quietly again and swallowed, breathed deeply, then she walked quietly through the hallway, across the polished floor, past the living room.

If she was very quiet, no one would know she had been here. Then perhaps they could just ...

"Morning, Lucy."

She literally froze in the movement. Goosebumps spread over her body and her heart had stopped for a moment, only to return twice as fast. Very slowly she turned her head and looked tense in the direction from which this deep voice had come. The deep dark eyes of him hit hers and she swallowed easily.

"As I see you are already awake? Very beautiful. The next time you come by to send my son to heaven, please be quieter," Ingeel Dragneel sat at the table, drank a cup of coffee and then took a pull from his cigarette. Lucy blinked and then swallowed. Igneel pulled the newspaper towards him and smiled slightly as he blew smoke towards the ceiling.

"I don't suppose you were using contraception as drunk as you two were yesterday," he asked when she still hadn't said a word. She stood there stiff as a stick and her lips turned to a panic-stricken grin.

"G-g-g-good morning, Igneel-san," she brought out, and you could see her tension. He pulled a narrow dark red brow up, then sighed deeply, put the cup down, put the cigarette out in an ashtray and rose from his seat. His gaze was cool and controlled. He wore a simple black kimono and a Haori in red. The cloth gaped open and she saw the color of his tattoos, swallowed easily and then looked up slightly frightened. Igneel was the Oyabun* of his clan, the boss, and he towered over her well by 2 heads. Fear reached for her heart. He wasn't a bad person in himself, but he had an extreme protective instinct. Something Natsu clearly had from him. He stared at her and Lucy swallowed nervously.

"I... I don't know," she whispered and her voice sounded thin and trembling, not as strong and self-confident as usual. Actually she was used to that. Why did this frighten her so much? Her nerves were simply shattered. That was a fact. A grin spread on Igneel's lips and the hardness and cold disappeared from his features and made way for a shit eating grin.

"If you should be pregnant, then you come immediately to us, only that this is clear, yes?", he had bent slightly forward and she nodded mechanically. Her knees felt like jelly.

"Well, then shoo off. I think, you want to escape the embarrassing morning afterwards, don't you?", the grin broadened as she looked shamefaced to the ground and nodded. Igneel hit her shoulder and laughed quietly.

"Then let's go," he replied and dismissed her. Lucy didn't let herself be told twice and fled the old Japanese estate in a breakneck speed. She dodged clan members, sprinted to the entrance, slipped into her brown leather shoes, then ran on. A few of the clan members had followed her to the door in amazement and looked after her Kobun**'s best friend. They had never seen Lucy so panicked.

" Well if he did anything wrong," Metalicana grinned wide and dirty. Atlas stood next to him and laughed quietly. They looked at each other, then both frowned.

"So ... your son would do something like that but the little one?"

"What's going on here?" Skiadrum joined the two clan members and seemed quite bored and sleepy. Metalicana growled quietly. He and the black haired one didn't like each other, even if they were brothers.

"Lucy just escaped," Atlas said, scratching his back of his head, disarranging the long red hair even more than before. Skiadrum pulled a black brow up and his red eyes glided to his older brother.

"And you believe that the two ... ", he began, but interrupted himself. Reddish spread on his cheeks and Metalicana grinned broadly, laughed softly. His brother was once again as shy as ever.

She ran faster and faster, followed the road and fled. Her lungs were burning and her chest hurt. Panting, she stopped at a high staircase and paused for a moment. She hoped, no prayed, that he would not remember anything. Otherwise it would only make everything more difficult. Unwinned tears burned in her eyes and she straightened up again. The gaze of her deep, chocolate brown eyes glided to the stairs, followed her and glided over the Torii. She stroked the red lacquered wood and felt it leafing under her fingers. Soon she would have to paint it again. Her lips pressed together to a firm stroke, then she took the high stairs at a run, sprinted through the second Torii. Her gaze glided over the temple.

The courtyard was paved with large stone slabs and well maintained. A gentle bamboo grove surrounded the area and she looked over to the temple. Fear seized her senses and she felt her legs give way. If her grandfather or sister would find out that. She blinked violently. It was bad enough that his father knew.

No one here was particularly enthusiastic about the friendship between Natsu and her. Neither her grandfather nor her sister, not to mention her cousins, who also lived here. And that was only because Natsu was the Kobun of Igneel. And that Natsu was constantly fighting, always involved in brawls and Lucy had followed him everywhere and all the time. They had been at the same primary and secondary school and when her grandfather had wanted to send her to an elite girls' school, she had refused knitting. She had gone to a school full of delinquents for Natsu. Oh, how had everyone raved except Natsu. Even her father and mother had travelled there and had given her hell, but she hadn't let it get her down. She still wanted to be friends with him and there was nothing wrong with it, was there?

But last night, this party? She wasn't even old enough to drink alcohol after all, but that didn't stop Natsu or her. They had poured so much beer and sake into them. And wine. But everyone had drunk so much. Even Levy had shot the bird and Gajeel had brought his drunken girlfriend home. Lucy could remember pretty much everything. Again panic seized her senses. How did they think sex between best friends was a good idea? She bit her lower lip hard and her fingers clawed into her hair. Oh and Lisanna would be so damn jealous. She knew it already. Her cousin was head over heels in love with Natsu and she knew that he liked her somewhere, too, even though he had never really made an effort to do anything with Lisanna. Mirajane had taken care of that. And Elfman.

Hectically Lucy looked around, but still everything was quiet. Nobody seemed to have got up yet and she got up, hurried quietly over the stone slabs to the family house. Everything had been built in the old Japanese style. Carefully she walked around the house, then unlocked one of the exterior sliding doors, quickly looked around, took off her shoes and closed the door behind her again. Then she tiptoed to the sliding door of her room, carefully pushed it open, slipped into her room and closed the sliding door behind her again. She breathed a sigh of relief and her knees gave way and she let herself sink to the floor. Luckily it was weekend and she didn't have to go to school today. That might have been embarrassing. She swallowed slightly, then pulled herself up again, took off her school uniform and picked out normal everyday clothes. She briefly sniffed her clothes and distorted her face. Clearly, she would have to wash her uniform because it reeked of alcohol and cold smoke. Apparently Natsu had smoked like a chimney yesterday. Again, although he had promised her to stop. A soft beep sounded and she jerked violently. Quickly she pulled on her shirt and crawled to her bag on all fours, pulled out her cell phone and opened it. When she looked at the sender, she froze and swallowed. Natsu.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
and here we have chapter 2. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think. And until now, its unchecked, but it will be checked.
> 
> Greets Z

**Chapter 2**

She was afraid of going back to class. Noise came out of the classroom and she heard the loud crash, heard the splintering of wood. They were fighting again. She didn't know it any different and it didn't surprise her either. Shortly she swallowed and bit her lower lip. It was a real miracle that nobody at home had noticed that she had come home Saturday morning at 5. That had been almost too easy. However, she had absolute panic, the message on Line that he had sent her ... did he remember? It was more normal for her to remember and not for him.

It scared her. So much that she could barely breathe. Redness spread to her cheeks as she remembered his message. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, swallowed lightly and felt the nervousness in her rise.

_Luce … we have to talk._

And suddenly an arm wrapped around her shoulders and she froze. Her eyes widened as the scent of his after shave rose into her nose and enveloped her. Her heart was beating up to her neck and a deep blush was burning on her cheeks, but she didn't dare turn her head to look at him.

"Hey Luce," he said quietly and she could hear his insecurity. Carefully she lifted her eyes and looked into those dark eyes, swallowing lightly. He grinned at her embarrassedly.

"I have to talk to you, Luce", he said and she saw the blush on his cheeks. Natsu was embarrassed and apparently he seemed to have thought seriously. She wanted to detach herself from him, but the grip only tightened when he realized her intention and he simply pulled her with him.

"No excuse, let's go. The ones in there are only fighting each other, you can't learn anyway. I don't know how Levy always manages that," he said and she stumbled after him, followed him through the dirty and garbage-strewn corridors of the school. She looked at the floor. The linoleum seemed to be much more interesting than anything else. Natsu dragged her up to the school roof and couldn't be stopped by the locked door to the attic either, he just kicked the door open.

Warm summer air welcomed them as they stepped out. She looked up as he pushed her further onto the roof and then closed the door. Lucy clung to the hem of her skirt and didn't know what to say or what to do.

"So... we...", Natsu started and pushed around. Lucy slowly raised her eyes and looked at him. He stood in front of her and was a bit insecure. His gaze was on the floor and she swallowed. A slight breeze plucked at the confused salmonhaired boy and at the red and white striped tie He had buttoned the white shirt with the emblem of the school messy and it was crumpled. He had rolled up his sleeves to his elbow and she could see the narrow scars on his tanned skin. Her heartbeat became faster and faster and her throat tightened. She had the feeling she couldn't breathe.

"It was..." he began again and she looked at him. Apparently he didn't know what to say. Lucy bit his lower lip. She didn't know what to say herself. Did she love him? Yes. But they were best friends and she had always held back, never wanted to risk it. She swallowed easily and bit her lower lip. Did he think she was expecting something like a relationship now? She had said something like that before. That she only wanted to go to bed with someone she loved. And she swallowed. Obviously he remembered it well. And he didn't want her to suffer. She looked at him, but she knew that he did not love her. That he only saw her as his best friend. Pain burned in her heart. She would make the decision for him.

"Natsu ... I can't remember anything", she said and lied to his face cold as ice. She smiled and had put on a wrong mask. She was good at that, but she had never lied to him before. Because he was her safe haven, where she could be herself. Her heart was beating up to her neck and she felt insane. Natsu looked at her and blinked confused.

"Uh... really?" he asked carefully. He seemed confused. Lucy laughed quietly and stepped closer to him, grinning like she always did.

"Yes ... sure, it was a real shock ... waking up next to you, but ... we are best friends or not? And we were really drunk. That's when it happens. Besides ... I looked ... and I'm still a virgin, don't worry. We didn't have sex, if that's what you think," she said, and now he seemed honestly confused. Blinked. Pain burned in her heart. She lied to him so boldly in the face and she knew she betrayed him with it somewhere and knew if he got to know the trouth ... then she would be on the ass, then this friendship would be they both so long joined no longer. Even if she lied out of pure fear. She did not want him to force himself into a relationship because they had had sex. Lucy smiled broadly. She didn't know if he remembered anything, but so far ... it had always been so that he couldn't remember anything when he had drunk so much alcohol.

"Natsu ... come on. Don't look so droopy. It's not the end of the world. We'll be best friends after all, won't we?" she asked and leaned forward a bit and looked at him waiting. He swallowed and then nodded as he looked down at her. She beamed at him, turned around and then hopped to the door leading down from the roof.

"Super", Lucy looked at him again, then she grinned broadly, "I'll go ahead and Natsu, don't make such a face. I won't twist a rope out of it," she said, opened the door and left the roof. The heavy door crashed into the lock behind her and her face distorted, becoming a mask of pain. Tears came to her eyes and she sniffed as she walked down the stairs. She had lied to Natsu. She had decided for both of them that nothing had happened and had given him the opportunity to pretend that nothing had happened and that they had just slept. Naked. But they were best friends and she wanted to keep that. She didn't want him to force a relationship on him with her just because he felt he had to make her happy. And so ... so they could act as if nothing had ever happened. Her heart whimpered and she felt her throat shrink. It was so wrong to lie to him, but ... she couldn't catch him like that, could she? Not like that. If she started something with him, then because he loved her too.

Hastily she wiped away the tears and ran to the girls toilet to wash her face. She did not want him to know that she had cried. Sniffing she stepped in front of one of the mirrors and looked at herself. Somehow she looked up ready. Her skin was pale and her eyes red and you could see that she had cried a little. Deep dark circles were under her eyes as she hadn't slept much all weekend. She looked at her hair. They were a mess of hair.

Quickly she rummaged out her pocket for eye drops and concealer and her brush. She would give him no reason to doubt. Nothing had happened after all. She put a few drops in her eyes, blinked violently and then dabbed concealer over the redness and dark circles. She quickly combed through the hip-length hair so that it looked at least halfway reasonable. Then she threw everything back into her pocket and ran to her classroom, opened the door and silence lay over the raging class. Everyone stared at her and she stared back.

Lucy tightened her shoulders, walked through the rows of tables to her seat, dropped her bag and sat down. The others ignored her and the usual turmoil continued. Levy, sitting a row in front of her, had turned to her and moved her chair a little closer to her table.

"Lu-chan ...", she began and Lucy let her head fall on the table top.

"What?"

"I can only remember darkly, but... didn't you make out with Natsu at the party?"

Lucy moaned annoyed. Did the topic really come up now? She had hoped that nobody had noticed, but apparently she was wrong. She sighed slightly, then lifted her head and looked at Levy. She was narrowly built, dainty and no one really knew how a smart girl like her had ended up in a school like this. But Lucy knew. Levy had run away from home and fled to her boyfriend, with whom she had gone to the same middle school. She knew that Levy's father had beaten her, that things had got worse and worse because he was an alcohol and gambling addict. And now, thanks to Gajeel and his father, she had her own apartment and had come to this school with him. If she had good grades, then nothing else mattered. Her best friend looked at her waiting, the big brown eyes innocently big. No one here touched her, because no one willingly messes with Gajeel. Lucy sighed.

"Yes ... ", she grumbled at Levy's question and Levy turned red, but giggled and leaned a little further forward.

"And how far did you get?

"We did it ... ", Lucy whispered and burning redness spread over her cheeks. Levy beamed and you could see that she was happy for Lucy, she knew how much Lucy loved Natsu. But then she saw the sadness on her best friend's face. She saw the pain on her face and concern lay in the features of her narrow blue-haired girlfriend.

"Lucy," she asked and then the sliding door of the classroom was opened again and Natsu entered the classroom. He was surprisingly quiet, came into the classroom and then sat down next to Lucy. She immediately stood up and put on a carefree smile. The smell of tobacco penetrated her nose and she blew up her cheeks briefly.

"Naaatssuuuu," she said, pulling her brows together as she turned to him and gave him a headbutt. He flinched and stared angrily at Lucy.

"Luce, what are you doing?"

"You shouldn't smoke! That's not healthy for you," said the blonde and put her hands on her hips. He snorted and turned his eyes to the side, while blush spread to his cheeks. She had a guilty conscience towards him, but she didn't want to lock him up. That just didn't suit him.

"Leave me alone with that," he growled and she blinked. Was he in a bad mood? She sighed slightly. She grabbed her chair, turned it to him with the backrest and sat down on the chair with her legs apart so that she could lay her forearms on the backrest. Then she stabbed him in the cheek with her finger.

"Naaatsuuuu," she said and pulled a light pout. Something that always worked normally, but he just grumbled and she kept stinging. She saw his muscles tense after four more minutes and knew she was teasing him. She knew he didn't like that. But she wanted to tease him a little, to ease the tension between them, to dispel his doubts and to behave as usual.

"Neee ... Naaatssuuuuuuuu," she said and grinned broadly. It was fun to annoy him because he was always so easily annoyed by her. Anyone else would probably not annoy a yakuza's child and find it funny, but Lucy knew him from elementary school and he wouldn't hurt her. So she kept poking him in the cheek. Then he growled irritably and snatched after her finger, which made her jump back in shock. What the ... ? Did he just try to bite her fingers?

"What do you want?", he asked irritatedly and obviously angry. Her heartbeat accelerated and she looked at him waiting.

"Are you mad at me," she asked after a short hesitation and he snorted. Redness spread to his cheeks. He didn't tell the truth, she noticed, but he didn't lie either.

"No," he growled and then yawned. She blinked and pulled up her eyebrows.

"Ah ... you are tired?" she asked with a grin and he put his head to his neck.

"Yeah ... ", he grumbled and his voice sounded rough. Lucy smiled. Goddess how she loved this idiot. Then she rose, grabbed his right arm and pulled on him. Or at least tried, because Natsu wouldn't move if he didn't want to.

"Come on, you get your chocolate milk, then it's to the infirmary," Lucy said and giggled. After a rumbling Natsu rose sluggishly and followed her reluctantly. Then the front door of the classroom opened and a tall man with light brown longer hair came in. He had an angular face, clear features and even the shirt could not hide the muscles. Suddenly calm returned to the class. But that wouldn't stop Lucy from taking Natsu to the infirmary so he could go to sleep.

"Hey, where are you two idiots going again?" her class teacher yelled and Lucy looked at him cool.

"Leave us alone, Gildarts-Sensei," Lucy hissed, snorted and then pulled Natsu out of the classroom with her. He was tired, so she would make sure he could sleep. And she had her tricks there. One of them was to supply him with his beloved chocolate milk first, then he was more peaceful after waking up. She knew exactly how to deal with the beast in him and acted accordingly. Given his mood, it wouldn't be surprising if he beat someone else in the classroom to the nearest hospital. It was funny in itself when he was irritable or sulking, but when he freaked out, the fun was over for her. Because then she could often hear that he was a monster and that she should end the friendship with him. Something she had absolutely no desire for. They went to one of the vending machines and she pulled a pack of chocolate milk. While he was drinking it his mood seemed to improve and she almost dragged him to the infirmary.

" Morning Dragneel-Sensei", she greeted the school nurseGrandeeney, who was among others Natsu's mother. The slender, cool beauty turned to them and sighed annoyed when she saw her son. She had hip-length white hair, blue eyes and her skin was as white as milk. She was an absolute beauty who was usually very gentle, but she was worse than the men in her family and they were all afraid of her. Lucy saw Grandeeney's left eye twitch.

"Lucy, what is my ungrateful brat doing here again," she growled irritatedly. The blonde smiled and swallowed. Then she pointed to the chocolate milk and the woman sighed. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and then snarled. Obviously she was not in a good mood and Lucy wondered if Igneel had talked to her. She did not hope. She liked Grandeeney, but this woman had a way about her that you couldn't refuse. And without saying anything else, Lucy pushed Natsu to one of the beds direction.

"Sleep for a while ... I'll come back to sports and wake you up," she said, smiled and closed the curtains so that he had his privacy. Then she smiled at his mother, who returned that smile only slightly and she made her way out of the room. Her heart was beating up to her neck and when she closed the door of the infirmary behind her again, she sighed in relief. Good, that was done.

"Have you talked to her?" she asked and pushed the white curtain aside again and looked down on her mistaken son. Her eyes were as cold as ice. Natsu slurped out the rest of the chocolate milk and crushed the drink pack. He sighed annoyed and let himself fall backwards.

"I tried ... but she said we only slept and did nothing", whispered into the silence of the room. You could hear that he wasn't enthusiastic and for a moment a face was pulled out. He didn't want to hurt her and had come to terms with it, had made friends with the thought that they could have a relationship. He loved Lucy, without question, but ... so far he had never perceived her as a girl. Never seen her as a woman. She had always been just Lucy. Burning redness spread to his cheeks and he heard his mother's annoyed sigh.

"Like your father", she growled and sat down beside him on the bed. He laughed quietly. For everyone else it always seemed as if his mother didn't like him, but he knew that she loved him. Otherwise she would have strangled him long ago.

"Did you at least use contraception?" she asked then and her voice was lurking. Natsu swallowed easily and bit her lower lip. He only remembered the party vaguely. It had clearly been too much alcohol. But what he definitely knew was that they had been too drunk for contraception. Although he wasn't sure if they had actually had sex. Lucy had denied it and actually she had never lied to him.

"No ... but ... Lucy takes the pill as far as I know," he said and his mother laughed slightly.

"That means nothing at all, with the devil's semen of this family," she growled and Natsu straightened up jerkily and stared at his mother with big eyes.

"What ... "

"Your father and I weren't married when I got pregnant with Cobra, you idiot. We even used contraception. But look at your family. Igneel's sperm obviously made it through the condom," she growled and Natsu turned flaming red. That was obviously unpleasant for him.

"Kaa-chan", he said and rubbed his nose, looked tense and embarrassed to the side. His mother snorted, then she punched the edge of her hand on his head. Pain twitched through his skull and he rubbed his head.

"You are all idiots. I should have you all reversibly sterilized. And I think Wendy and Juvia will get a chastity belt soon," she said and nodded slightly. Natsu swallowed and shook his head.

"I swear I'll never do it again, okay?" he crawled a bit towards the wall. His mother growled irritably.

"Cobra got another girl pregnant. Some slut like that. Kinana or whatever her name is. And Juvia? She keeps running after this Fullbuster boy. If they weren't in the bed yet, I don't know either. I don't want to be a grandmother yet, all right? You're all underage and the place is already full of idiots. Idiots with brats on their necks would be even worse," she hissed and Natsu swallowed again. He nodded and goose bumps had spread all over his body.

"You will talk to her, all right? If necessary get on her nerves!"

"But ... Mom!"

"Don't come with me _But Mom_," Grandeeney hissed and rose jerkily. Natsu flinched and nodded slightly.

"But if she doesn't remember and I'm just not sure if we really had sex or not! Normal ... Lucy is quite drinkable and ... ", he replied, chewed on his lower lip and stopped, "she said she was still a virgin. She never lies to me, Kaa-chan. After all, she has no reason to. And ... if she does then ... "

Grandeeney sighed and felt a headache and massaged her temples. She loved her children, her family and even her stupid husband. But sometimes she just wanted to lock the whole damn gang up or sink them in the next river. And Natsu was so damn careless that it already hurt. Her eyes were on her son again. But that Lucy and her son hadn't slept together surprised her. They had heard the two loud and clear. Hadn't been to be overheard either. Did Lucy lie? And if so, why? Grandeeney had known the blonde girl for a long time. She knew exactly that she had no reason to lie to Natsu.

"When she arrives and tells you that she is pregnant, you will have your ass in your pants and take care of her, right?", she asked and he nodded violently. Now he might have promised her that, but did he know what it all meant? He would have to do everything for Lucy. And if that meant he had to buy ice cream or chocolate in the middle of the night, then so it was. She remembered how she was almost freaked out every time she was pregnant. Except for the fact, that Lucy had lied to him then. But ... what if Lucy did it out of fear? She knew how much Lucy loved her Natsu. She had seen it in her eyes. And the fact that Lucy went to this school because of Natsu was obvious. That her son hadn't made it yet, while all the others were betting on when the two came together, was a real phenomenon anyway. She knew Natsu wasn't an innocent lamb. It wasn't anyone in this stupid pile. Grandeeney sighed again and dropped onto the swivel chair, then pulled out her papers and started working.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> and here we have chapter 3. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think. And until now, its unchecked, but it will be checked.
> 
> Greets Z

**Chapter 3**

Lucy giggled when Levy showed her the pictures. The sex debacle had been about two weeks ago and she was doing great. Halfway anyway. Natsu hadn't asked her any more about it, because she had played believably that she was still a virgin. Since she took the pill, everything was really great. She thought anyway.

"Lu-chan ...", Levy started suddenly and Lucy pulled her eyebrows together. What now? Did she want to give her another lecture? Lucy sighed slightly, drove through the long blond hair and leaned back. They sat at the low table in her room. Lucy didn't know how many times she could talk Levy out of it, or handle the whole thing. So she raised her hands. A sign of her surrender.

"What do you want to know," Lucy asked and looked at Levy. This one turned red.

"Do you really not remember it," the other asked and Lucy sighed again.

" Yes ... of everything. "

"But ... then ... "

"I'm on the pill, and I don't want to destroy our friendship at any cost, okay? So what's so bad about it? He ... Levy I ... I ", Lucy began, but then she became nauseous. She put her hand in front of her mouth and her eyebrows pulled together. Her stomach rumbled and then she jumped up and sprinted towards the toilet, opened the door, lifted the lid and vomited noisily. She hadn't eaten for the last few hours and didn't know what it was either, but ... tears came to her eyes as the stomach acid in her gullet and throat burned and she choked again. Levy held back her hair in the meantime. Lucy gasped and she was held a piece of toilet paper. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she sniffed quietly as she wiped her mouth, stood up wobbly and then flushed. She was currently snuffed out and she really hoped it was just that and nothing else. They hadn't used contraception but she was sure she had taken the pill that evening, hadn't she? Well, her period didn't come and was a week overdue. Doubts were there and she felt so insecure. What if she did ... ?

"Lu-chan," Levy whispered and Lucy looked at her friend, wiping away the tears.

"I ... I can't ... I ... have I-i-ihm ... said that we did not have sex and I am still a virgin ... "

"Let's just do a test. Then we definitely know, okay?" Levy gently stroked Lucy's back and she swallowed lightly. Then they went back to Lucy's room. It was already 5 o'clock in the morning and they should have slept but they had spent so much time chatting. Morning sickness? Could she even be sure that it was? Especially in the morning she got sick, but only since the last three days. Was that so fast? She didn't know. In her room she drank water and sat down again on the floor, leaning against her bed. She was afraid.

_What if ... if I really ..._ , she thought and was not even able to think this word. She was simply afraid. After all, she was only 17 and was in her final year. But she knew that she needed certainty and so she nodded in surrender. Should she have talked to him? Even at the risk that her friendship would break? Her throat tightened and tears rose to her eyes. Levy pushed herself next to Lucy and hugged the blonde. She sniffed open and her body began to tremble as she returned the hug.

"Levy ... I ... I am afraid," she brought out between sobs. And Levy understood that. She hadn't been able to do anything else then. Whereby she had not been pregnant. She had only been ill and had caught an infection. But she could understand it. Gently her fingers stroked Lucy's head and Levy smiled.

She whispered softly and in a soothing voice, "Everything will be fine again, we'll get it right". Even though she knew it wasn't like that.

Levy pushed her way through the rows of the Conbini with Lucy and put four of Check One's tests in the basket. She seemed quite relaxed as she walked past the rows of shelves. Lucy was right behind her, looking down at the floor. She felt bad, scared and restless like never before. Her heart was beating up to her neck. What if she was really pregnant? Her parents would kill her. Her grandfather would expel her from the house. And Natsu? She had lied to him because she was afraid because she didn't want to destroy her friendship.

They came to the cash register where Levy put down the basket and looked at the salesman with an almost carefree smile. He looked at the pregnancy test for a moment, but then pulled it over the scanner without a comment. Lucy broke out a cold sweat. Her heartbeat accelerated and she had the feeling she couldn't breathe. Sweat beads stood on her forehead. She felt miserable. Not only that she had lied to Natsu, there was a danger of pregnancy ... and what would she do then? He thought they hadn't had sex.

"That makes 2580 yen," said the salesman. He was the calm in person, just like Levy. Lucy trembled and was a nervous wreck and about to burst into tears. Her fingers clawed into her forearms in the wide sweater, but the man paid no attention to her. She felt so ... so dirty. So bad. Levy nodded, picked out the money and paid. Lucy blinked violently as tears gathered in her eyes and she pulled her shoulders up. Fear and panic reached for her heart. What if someone saw her here? When the man behind the counter recognized her and told Natsu?

"Thank you for shopping, come back soon," the man indicated a slight bow and handed the white plastic bag over to Levy. She smiled and nodded, then pulled Lucy out of the store. Lucy didn't see where she was going, was dragged along by Levy. She just followed her as her heart pounded to her neck, her throat tightened, and she simply couldn't breathe. Or at least had the feeling.

They stopped at a block of flats and Levy moved them on. She didn't want Lucy to do these tests at her home. Someone could find out and Levy wanted neither her grandfather Hades nor her cousin Lisanna to know. Those two would be absolute horrors. The others would probably have less of a problem with that, but the two of them? End of the world. And so Levy took Lucy with her. She lived in a relatively old apartment block. Gajeel and Metalicana, Gajeel's father, had helped her to get her own apartment. The walls looked old, but it was still well maintained and clean. There was no rubbish lying around here and it did not stink either, as was usually the case.

They took the elevator to the 16th floor. Levy greeted her two neighbours who had just left the apartment and were going to work. Lucy didn't really notice them, it was obvious. And so Levy pulled her best friend behind her, unlocked the apartment door and pushed Lucy in. The apartment was small, but tidy and clean. She and Lucy took off their shoes and slowly Lucy seemed to start thawing again as she shuffled across the old wooden floorboards of the short hall and walked into the adjoining living room. Where Gajeel was already waiting. Levy smiled gently.

The walls were unadorned. Only a few pictures of Gajeel and her and a family photo of Metalicana, Gajeel and Levy were hanging on the wall. Two doors went away from the hall. One led to the bedroom, one to the bathroom. The living room had an open cut to the kitchen. Her gaze glided over the clean but old worktop of the kitchen, over the kitchen cupboards on the wall, the old refrigerator. The stove stood on the outer wall under the window and the room was separated by the counter. The dining table was connected to it. Next to it was a couch, a glass coffee table and on the wall opposite the couch was an old television set. Sunlight fell through the two glass doors leading to the narrow balcony. Gajeel was sitting on the couch reading a lesson book. Levy grinned while Lucy looked at him as if he were an appearance. He was not disturbed by either of them. Levy looked at the book. Ah, chemistry. So he followed her advice and learned the way he should.

"Lu-chan, please go to the bathroom," Levy instructed her and the blonde shrugged violently, then she nodded and hurried to the bathroom. It was as if she had fled from him. Only then did Gajeel look up, looked at Levy. His eyes fell on the plastic bag in his hand and he frowned. He pulled the pierced eyebrows together.

"Levy ... ", he began and she giggled slightly, stroking her lower abdomen and his eyes grew big. He still knew exactly what she meant and became deathly pale. But his girlfriend giggled again and pointed towards the bathroom. Relieved he slipped deeper into the couch. Which really amazed her, because he was so damn big and there wasn't so much room.

"Do I have to talk to Natsu?" he asked when Levy had tried to get a cup from one of the kitchen cupboards and froze.

"What?

"Cobra will be the next and Natsu will be his deputy, don't forget that. He's also a gang leader, Levy. If she is pregnant, Natsu should know that," Gajeel asked and looked at his girlfriend waiting. She sighed and looked at the door, then she came to her boyfriend on quiet soles.

"You keep your mouth shut. Natsu does not know that they actually had sex, okay? I told you this in confidence because I wanted your advice. Not that you'll hang it on the big bell right away, okay?" she looked at him with contracted brows and Gajeel snorted slightly, then he pulled her down at her neck because she had bent down a little to him and lovingly kissed her.

"If he beat me to the hospital, you may take care of me", Gajeel grinned dirty and Levy giggled. She knew exactly what kind of care he wanted. She pressed another kiss on his lips, then she detached herself from him, took the required cup from the cupboard and disappeared into the bathroom. It was modern and contrary to tradition, it was not a separate bathroom from the toilet. That was absolutely untypical and at first she was a little disgusted because she found it unhygienic, but at some point she got used to it. The white electric light gave something cold and clinical to the white tiles that stretched across the floor and walls. To the right of the door was the sink with a small bathroom cupboard where she kept toiletries, cleaning supplies and toilet paper. Opposite the sink was the toilet and opposite the door the floor was a little deeper. One step had been let in. There was a narrow bathtub on the left wall and a shower on the right. That way the water would not run into the apartment.

Lucy sat undecidedly on the folded down toilet lid, had clawed herself into the wide black sweater. Levy frowned briefly as she scrutinized the garment. It clearly didn't belong to Lucy. It was too big for that, because one got the impression that she was wearing nothing but the black tights underneath. And Levy realized that Lucy apparently had a sweater from Natsu. She decided not to say anything. If that helped Lucy, it was a good thing. She put the bag and the colorless plastic cup on the small cupboard and the plastic rustled. It was like a starting shot in silence and Lucy raised her head jerkily, bit her lower lip and breathed deeply once.

She seemed so panic-stricken, so anxious, as Levy had rarely seen her before. Normally the blonde beauty was a picture of absolute self-confidence. She had an absolute hammer body. Busty, which was due to the British-Japanese descent of her great-great-grandmother, blond and slim. It was not unusual for Natsu to mess with one of the older students who wanted Lucy as a toy. Levy started unpacking the four pregnancy tests and lined them up neatly. Then she handed the cup to her best friend who turned red. Levy sighed.

"Believe me, that makes it easier," she replied, then turned away to give Lucy some privacy. After she peed in the cup, Levy put the cup on the cupboard. She had completely unpacked the tests, pulled the cap off each of the tests. Then she set the timer of her cell phone and dipped the test strip into the urine, then she put the cap back on the test and did the same on all the other three tests, then she set her cell phone to one minute and now it was time to wait. She turned to Lucy, who had washed her hands in the meantime and was now staring at the tests nervously and with big doe eyes. Levy also washed her hands and then hugged Lucy. She trembled and clung to her best friend.

And so the seconds passed. Silence lay sluggish and heavy over the room. Lucy had the feeling that it took hours, although she stood here for only a minute and waited for the result. She prayed that it was a mistake, that she was not pregnant. Her heart was beating up to her neck and the smell of Natsu's sweater she was wearing didn't make it any better. The beeping of the phone timer tore the silence apart and Lucy flinched as if she had just been beaten. Levy detached herself from her, pushed Lucy onto the closed toilet lid and checked the tests. And there were two strokes on each one. She swallowed. Lucy would collapse. That was something that should never have happened. Levy held a deep breath, took all four tests in her hand and turned a little stiffly to Lucy, who squatted on the toilet just before a seizure and trembled like aspen leaves.

"Lu-chan," Levy beeped quietly and Lucy stared at her best friend with her eyes wide open. Levy approached her and held out the tests. Levy's heart was pounding and she felt as nervous as when she did the tests herself. The probability that Lucy was pregnant was 99%.

With trembling hands, Lucy grabbed the plastic they were holding out to her and her eyes fell on the stripes. A whimper escaped her lips and then hot tears dripped on her hands, on the dark fabric of the sweater. She became dizzy and everything turned. She couldn't breathe and tried to breathe, started hyperventilating. Her thoughts rested. How would she explain this to Natsu? How would she explain that to her family? She was 17 and pregnant. She was not married and she had lied to Natsu. The four tests fell out of her hands and she jumped up jerkily, escaped from the bathroom. She had to get out of here, she couldn't breathe. Blind with tears she crashed against the wall and shook her head, staggered along the wall. Away, just away.

"Lucy," Levy shouted and the blonde started running again, fleeing out of the apartment.

Levy didn't react soon enough. She knew what a horror it had to be. She swallowed as Lucy fled the bathroom and crashed against the wall in her panic. She followed her, trying to stop her. In that state, anything could happen to her. Gajeel looked up confused as Lucy staggered along the wall. Levy hurt to see her best friend like that. Illegitimate children were considered misfortunes and she swallowed again. Then she called for her best friend, wanted to reach for her, but it was like a starting shot and Lucy escaped from the apartment, sprinted in a lightning speed down the hall and almost ripped the door off its hinges. Gajeel cursed and jumped up as well. Levy had tears in her eyes.

"Levy something to ... "

"She's pregnant ...", Levy brought out and swallowed easily. Then she looked at her boyfriend and knew that he would act. He almost jumped over the glass table, which stood in the way to go after Lucy. He didn't admit it, but everyone liked her and in this state the danger where she was blinded by panic and tears and ran in front of a car or train just too big.

"Okay, we look for her. The others too?" he asked and with every second that passed he became more restless. Levy just nodded hastily. It didn't matter if someone found out now. If something happened to Lucy, it was much worse than anything else.

She sprinted to the door, followed by Gajeel, who started the telephone chain for such things. He left out why Lucy ran away in panic. She slipped into her shoes, took Lucy's with her. She was walking barefoot. In spring. She bit her lower lip, then she ran off. Gajeel followed her, but at the elevator he still gave her her mobile phone and her house key, which she had forgotten. Levy herself was on the edge of losing her mind.

_Please not Lu-chan. Not my Lucy ...,_ she thought desperately while the elevator appeared. Then they got in and Levy prayed that she was just downstairs, but the odds were slim.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And to the next chapter. Hope you like it. Let me know, what you think. I'm quite not a fan of Lisanna, sooo ... yeah. But pls no Lisannahate. I won't spoiler. Just keep reading and you will understand her behavier and all ^^
> 
> Greets Z

**Chapter 4**

Natsu frowned as his cell phone beeped. He detached himself a little from Lisanna. They had been together for over a week. Somehow he had to distract himself from Lucy. He believed her that they hadn't had sex. After all, he had no reason to doubt it. However, he slowly realized that he liked her more than just being his best friend and that scared him. And knowing that Lisanna had a crush on him and was always adoring him anyway, he had gotten involved with her even if he only liked her as a friend. She was pretty and could be really nice to him, even though he knew that she was really manipulative. She grumbled mercilessly about the interference and he pushed her away a little more so that he could get to his damn cell phone. He unfolded it and answered.

"Yes?"

"Natsu ... finally. Lucy ran away. We don't know the reason, but she must have panicked and fled Levy's apartment without shoes and we're all looking for her," Erza sounded rushed. He heard the noise of cars in the background and frowned. His heartbeat had accelerated when Erza mentioned Lucy. A pale hand slid over his chest and Lisanna demanded attention again, but he pushed her away. Other things were much more important right now. Because he knew that if Lucy walked around without shoes, it was bad. She loved shoes and without them she would never leave the house. That didn't allow her pride as a girl as he knew.

"Where are you? Where have you been looking for her?"

"We search everywhere in Setagaya, but so far ...", Erza came out wheezing and his eyes widened a bit. Erza was out of breath? His left hand clenched into a fist and fear clasped his heart. Had anything happened to Lucy? He didn't hope. He jumped up and Lisanna grumbled again.

"I'll help you search," he said, because he had a rough idea of where she might be. He grabbed his jacket, ran off, sprinted through the corridors of the estate and put on the jacket as he walked.

"Let me know when you have found it. I'm looking in Kinuta Park," he said and Erza gave her permission, then he closed the cell phone, jumped into worn out jumper boots, tied them hastily.

"Ouji-sama, where are you going?" Atlas had appeared in the entrance area. Natsu didn't stop when he tied his boots.

"Lucy is running around somewhere outside. Something must have happened, the others are looking for her," he said rushed and swallowed. The red-haired man nodded and smiled slightly. And with that Natsu sprinted off to look for his best friend. His heart panicked in his chest as he ran to the park. The part was damn big and who knew how long the others were looking for her.

_Luce ... _, he thought and speeded up his steps.

"Did you find her?" His breath went panting and he looked around like a lunatic. The gaze of his dark soul mirror glided over the well-kept green, over the finely delineated paths. He had almost crossed the entire park, but still hadn't found her. Fear clasped his heart. If something had happened to her, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. What had she thrown off track for?

"No, not yet. We've all run around twice," Levy said and seemed close to tears and anger surged up in him. He jogged off again, although his legs were aching and his lungs were burning. He was clearly supposed to smoke less. Sweat beads stood on his forehead and a drop fell on his forehead. Angrily he stared up into the sky as more drops fell. It had contracted darkly and began to rain. Super ... he had no umbrella with him, so that he could protect her from the rain, if he should find her. But could he be sure that he would find her? Or that he would get an answer? He wasn't even sure about it and growled up annoyed. The urge to destroy something was just too overwhelming and only very slowly did he get himself under control to such an extent that he remained clear-headed. He couldn't afford the cops right now.

"Okay ... keep looking," he growled into the phone, then hung up, put it in his pocket and slowly looked around in despair. He ran across the beige stone path as the rain grew heavier. He didn't feel the cold, but Lucy would feel it and that was his concern. She froze quickly and generally cooled down quickly.

"LUCE," he shouted and whirled once around in circles, but he got no answer. He suppressed a violent curse as he drove through his thick salmon hair and his gaze flew around. And then ... he saw her. He would have recognized her everywhere. She sat with lowered head under a tree, had pulled the legs close to the body and wrapped the narrow arms around these. His heart almost stopped in relief and he bridged the few meters. It had taken him about 10 minutes to get to the park and he had already searched for half an hour. However, she was so well hidden here that he had almost overlooked her.

Natsu fell to his knees in front of her and stretched out his trembling hands to Lucy. He swallowed and bit his lower lip. She stared into nothingness with an empty look. Her eyes were reddened, her cheeks looked sore from crying. His gaze glided over her legs. Her stockings were torn and her feet bloody. Carefully not to scare her, he stroked her left cheek with his fingertips. His heart hammered against his ribs. What had happened to his Luce? What had happened to her sitting here like that? So depressed? She flinched violently under the touch, backed away, but he was faster, reached for her and pulled her at him. He would not allow her to flee again and put herself in danger. She whimpered in shock and he felt her resistance, but he mercilessly pulled her into a firm embrace. And he was right, she was all cold. How long had she been sitting here?

Natsu buried his face in her hair. She stopped defending herself and he felt her crying and now clinging to him. Like a drowning woman.

"I am sorry ... ", she whimpered and at the sound of her voice it scared himself. She seemed so rough and so thin, trembling and broken. Over and over again these words were rushing over her lips and it tore his heart apart that she apologised to him, although he didn't even know why. But he would not ask her. He was just happy that he had found her, that she was with him and that she didn't seem to be missing anything except that she was hypothermic. That was all he was asking.

Holding her with one hand, he pulled out his cell phone and wrote a circular mail to her friends that he had found her and would bring her home to his house. Then he wrote a message about Line to Acnologia, the good spirit of his family, that he should please prepare a bath for Lucy. His heart pounded in his chest and swallowed again, then he pushed his phone back into his pocket, tightened his grip, reached under her knees and rose with her. For a moment he swayed. His legs were about to give way, but that wasn't because she might have been too heavy. He clearly had to do more sport, that's for sure. He pushed her a little higher on his arms and his grip got a little tighter, then he marched off. He would bring her home, that much was certain. She clung to him in tears and always produced apologies. That hurt him endlessly, but he would keep quiet about it and not say anything.

He stepped through the main entrance. Lucy was now unconscious. She was simply exhausted. Acnologia, Atlas, Skiadrum and Metalicana greeted him and bowed as he walked between them.

"Welcome back, Ouji-sama," they politely said and then followed him. Everyone here liked Lucy and somehow surprised and hurt his father's men that something had panicked Lucy Heartfilia so much that the youngest Kobun of Igneel brought her home unconscious. Natsu seemed unusually serious and visibly angry. He carried her through the estate, hadn't even bothered to take his boots off. That would have meant he had to drop Lucy off and he wasn't ready to do that.

"Ouji-sama, I prepared the big bathroom," Acnologia said quickly and followed him. Natsu just nodded. He carried her to the large bathroom in the back of the old Japanese estate and Acnologia, quickly pushed the sliding door aside.

The room was large, measured about 20m². The floor was tiled with grey stone slabs. The walls were covered up to the ceiling with white tiles and countless shower heads protruded from the wall. In front of each was a stool and a small wooden tub. In the middle of the room was a large basin. The water shimmered slightly green and Natsu knew that Acnologia must have added medicinal herbs to the water. Steam clouds rose. Natsu went in and kneeled down on the stone slabs and gently laid Lucy on the floor. Then he got up, took off his jumper boots and gave them wordlessly to the servant and yakuza member Acnologia. He bowed and immediately disappeared again, closing the wooden sliding door behind him.

Natsu turned to Lucy. She wore one of his sweaters and seemed so vulnerable in her wide clothes. Carefully he took off her wet clothes and concentrated on putting her in warm water. Not that she was so damn sexy. When he threw the wet black fabric aside, he saw that she had worn shorts under the sweater and relief filled his senses. For a moment he had been afraid that she had been raped. He took off her shorts, followed by the thights, then lifted her up again, climbed into the pool, sat down and gently let her slide into the hot water. He made sure she didn't sink her head into the water, bathed her carefully and stroked her cheek.

Pain raged in his chest. She was so fragile. Because even though she had such a damn bust size that made every guy in the fucking school drool, she was only 1.55 tall and she was so thin. He swallowed lightly and forced himself under no circumstances to lower his gaze to her breasts, even though it was difficult for him because he held her tight. She was unconscious right now and it just wouldn't be right to attack her now.

"Luce ... what kind of things are you doing", he whispered quietly and noticed how rough his voice sounded. Redness spread to his cheeks and he pushed it back, staring at the ceiling as she rested with her head on his shoulder.

It was warm, so pleasant, but also... wet? Lucy blinked and perceived her surroundings blurred. Then she blinked again and slowly everything cleared up, became clear and so razor sharp that it was almost unpleasant again. She frowned as she looked at green water and white tiles. Then she looked slightly to the side and stared at Natsu. Her eyes widened and she realized that he was squatting in the water with clothes on and holding her in his arms. She felt the coarse fabric and very carefully she looked down. Reddish shot into her cheeks. She was wearing only her damn underwear! She wanted to tear herself away to get away from Natsu and cover her bareness, which startled him. He had put his head back and his eyes closed, now he looked at her.

"Luce, you are awake," he said and was obviously happy about it. She blushed even more and now tore herself free, retreated. Her heart was racing and this was so damn embarrassing.

"W ... what ... Natsu ... " she stuttered and did not know what to say. Now he turned red, but grinned slightly.

"I only bathed you. You were completely cold, Luce," he said and shrugged his shoulders. But then he got serious and the grin disappeared from his face.

"Why did you run around outside like that? Levy said you fled from her apartment," he said and frowned as he leaned back. Obviously it didn't bother him at all that he was sitting in the water with his clothes on. And then it all came back to her. She shuddered briefly and tense up, looked to the side. Her throat tightened. Should she tell him now? She bit her lower lip. But she had lied to him and now she was pregnant. Tears came into her eyes again.

"I cannot ... ", she brought out, there she heard water splashing and saw Natsu pushing himself towards her. Hastily she wanted to go back, but he was faster, grabbed her by the left wrist and pulled her, hugged her.

"I'm so glad nothing bad seems to have happened to you. But Luce ... do you ... do you really not want to tell me what happened?" he asked and she shook her head as tears ran down her cheeks. She couldn't tell him, it would destroy everything! Trembling she took a breath. He had been worried and had come looking for her. She cried even harder and felt him stroking her head. She was such a bad friend. He searched for her, found her and helped her, brought her home safely and comforted her and what did she do? She lied to him. She was pregnant from him and lied to him. Over and over again. Her heart screamed tormented as she clung to Natsu and she would have liked to have told him, but the fear that he would reject her, that he would never talk to her again, was too great.

_I love you_, she thought and buried the face in his neck.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are with the next chapter. Let me know what you think. Still unchecked.
> 
> Greets Z

**Chapter 5**

She was nervous, jittery and so she sat next to Levy and Gajeel. She had her first examination at her gynaecologist. She knew that Porlyusica Edo-Sensei would fall from all the clouds. She was afraid of what this otherwise so rough woman would do and swallowed. Her heart raced and she bit her lower lip. Three more weeks had passed since she had taken this test, since she was so freaked out. She hadn't wanted to give a reason why she had been registered for a routine checkup, and Levy had almost gone to the secretary's throat.

Levy and Gajeel understood her fear, although Gajeel didn't like the fact that Lucy didn't open her mouth and remained silent. He thought she had to say it because Natsu was the father and he had also told her that the longer she was silent, she made it worse. But how was she going to get on with it now? It was tricky. She had managed again and again to bypass the subject, to act. Even if it was damn hard with the morning sickness. And the absolute horror was the mood swings. One second she was the happiest person in the world, the next second she cried and then she raged worser than Natsu. Her grandfather was extremely annoyed by her and crept away as soon as he saw her, her sister and Mirajane had already made jokes about a pregnancy. Her classmates treated her all the time as if she was made of glass.

Three weeks ago, when Natsu found her and brought her home, she had talked to Igneel and Grandeeney. In confidence, mind you. She had confessed to them in tears that she had slept with Natsu, but had been too scared what would happen if he found out. When Igneel wanted to know if she was pregnant and was happy that he was going to be Grandpa, Grandeeney almost strangled him. Lucy had cried like a castle dog and didn't know what to do, and his mother had an understanding with her, took her in her arms and was more understanding than everyone else.

And now she sat here for her first examination. She was panic-stricken, because what if Porlyusica scolded her, if she didn't help her? It was still the right of medical secrecy and everything, but illegitimate children were considered misfortune and a social taboo. She didn't feel tears in her eyes until her vision blurred and Levy, sitting right beside her, took her hand, looked up, sniffed and wiped the tears away.

"Heartfilia-san!" the sister called her name, she flinched and jumped up hastily, "Room 4 is free."

Lucy nodded slightly, then she ran to the corresponding room. She glanced back at the waiting room. Levy smiled encouragingly at her. She and Gajeel would wait for her. She swallowed, then tightened her shoulders. She had to be strong. She could not become a mental wreck! The blonde reached for the door handle, then opened the door and entered. Her doctor already sat there and looked at her waiting, examined her and then smiled a little. Lucy stepped further into the bright room. The walls were painted beige and pictures of landscapes adorned the walls. The wall opposite Lucy was completely glassed and sunlight illuminated the room, making everything more harmonious. The left wall was dominated by bookshelves and in front of the window there was a modern desk with a computer screen, a picture and some books. A movable partition on the left hand bordered an area of the room so that it wasn't immediately visible, but Lucy knew there was a treatment chair.

Lucy closed the door behind her and stepped up to the two visitor chairs standing in front of the desk. She bowed slightly to her doctor, who returned the greeting.

"Ah, Heartfilia-san. Please, sit down," Edo-Sensei requested. She was older, but experienced. She was slender and the few wrinkles on her face only made her look friendlier. She had put the long pink hair together to a firm, strict knot and fixed it with a crescent-shaped clasp in gold look. Lucy immediately followed and kneaded her hands restlessly.

"So ... what brings you here", asked her doctor and looked at Lucy waiting. She swallowed slightly.

"I ... I did not give my true reason for this examination", whispered Lucy and her shoulders cramped. She stared at her hands, refusing to look at her doctor. Her heart raced and she swallowed nervously.

"And that would be?"

"I am ... am pregnant", she brought up falteringly. Silence lay over the room. Only the ticking of the clock on the right wall broke the silence. It seemed to be minutes when her doctor sighed.

"Lucy ... look at me," growled Porlyusica then. Lucy flinched. She knew her doctor well, having been a patient here since her first bleeding. Her hands trembled as she forced herself to follow her doctor's call. She stared at her with a strict gaze.

"Do you want to joke with me, young lady?" she asked. She had her elbows resting on the table, her hands crossed in front of her face and ruby eyes staring at her. Icy shivers were running down Lucys back. Her doctor looked at her as if she wanted to kill her. She shook her head and her shoulders trembled as tears came to her eyes again. The woman sighed in front of her and seemed tense.

"All right. Are you sure?"

"I did four tests three weeks ago ... and ... it was already two weeks ago ...", Lucy brought out and a brow rose jerkily in the air.

"Does the father know?" she asked now and Lucy swallowed hard. Again she shook her head and her lips trembled.

"N ... no. Natsu knows nothing", she confessed and knew herself how stupid she behaved. But she was a rabbit's foot. She was afraid to tell him and he was currently with Lisanna. What had broken her heart. He seemed happy with her, and her cousin? She rubbed it in her nose every time. Lucy didn't know how Lisanna knew, but ... her cousin knew that Lucy was in love with Natsu and she had a lot of fun making her suffer. Porlyusica pulled her lips. She knew who Natsu was. How could she not? She was the fourth degree aunt of Natsu's mother.

"Are you serious? That brat?," her doctor asked and seemed upset. Lucy swallowed hard and then nodded timidly. The woman moaned annoyed, hit her hand on the table top and rose. Lucy was almost expecting to be thrown out because her doctor could get pretty grumpy.

"Then go ahead, free your abdomen and lie down on the examination chair. I'll do an ultrasound. When you're in your fifth week, you should be able to see something," the pinquette growled. Lucy stared at her doctor as if she came from the moon. She fixed the blonde with a stern look.

"Will you soon?"

"Yes Ma'am," Lucy jumped up involuntarily and saluted. Then she took off the sweater of her uniform, opened the zipper of the red and white checkered pleated skirt, took off her tights and panties and put everything neatly together on the other visitor's chair, then she lay down on the examination chair behind the partition and pulled the shirt up so high that her abdomen was exposed. Redness lay on her cheeks. She was embarrassed to lie here so freely, even though Edo-Sensei was her doctor. She had pulled up an ultrasound device with a monitor. She pulled out a narrow device and the blush on Lucys' cheeks became deeper at the shape. The pinquette drew a condom over the stick, applied lubricant and inserted the device. Lucy stared at the monitor. Her heart was beating up to her neck. She didn't know if she should keep the child and carry it. She really didn't know.

"Ah ... here we have it. His fucking brood," growled Porlyusica. Lucy saw two little dots on the black noise and her eyes widened. She felt as if her heart was stopping. She unavoidably held her breath and stared only at those two dots.

"Oh and congratulations. They are twins."

Words that brought tears to her eyes. She trembled and then the tears overflowed. She sobbed and rubbed her eyes. Happiness flooded her heart. Those were her children. With Natsu.

"Yes, I would cry there too," Porlyusica grumbled.

"Do you want a picture of it? Even if I hope that in your case you do the right thing and abort?"

Lucy's head jerked to her doctor and stared at her with big eyes. Then she pressed her lips together. She was afraid, yes, but ... to destroy two lives because of that? Just so she had it easier?

"I ... I want to keep them", she said then and Edo-Sensei twisted annoyed the eyes, then she pressed a button and it hummed. Then Edo-Sensei did more research. She took a swab to rule out abdominal infection. Then she took her blood, while Lucy stood up, the first picture of her two children had already been printed. Lucy stood up a little shakily and then stood on the scales according to instructions to be able to note down the initial weight. Lucy was restless as she put her clothes back on. Porlyusica then handed her a small black and white picture, which took Lucy trembling and again with tears in her eyes. She smiled.

"When will you tell him," she asked and Lucy sniffed slightly.

"He's with Lisanna and he doesn't even know that ... that we ... "

"If you've fucked with him, then you must be able to pronounce it," said her gynaecologist dryly and Lucy almost dropped the picture out of her hand. She felt a burning blush on her cheeks, then she stroked the black and white picture with the fingertips of her right hand.

"I acted in panic and he thinks we were just asleep. He thinks I am still a virgin. I didn't think I'd get pregnant the first time," Lucy said and her voice was occupied.

"And you still want to give birth to two children at the age of 17? I think even Natsu isn't so stupid that he doesn't grasp what really happened when you run around with a big belly," Porlyusica replied and leaned against the edge of the table. Lucy looked up and smiled sadly.

"I know, but I have to go through that", then she shrugged her shoulders and bowed slightly.

"His parents know, but ... I ask you. Edo-Sensei. Please keep that to yourself. I don't want my parents to force me to have an abortion. I'd rather be expelled from my family than give these two up."

Sweat broke on Lucy's forehead. She was nervous and her heart was beating up to her neck. She had fallen in love with her children when she saw these two dots on the monitor. Happiness filled her and she knew it would be difficult. She knew it all, but she also knew she could do it. She firmly believed in it and refused to give up her children. If necessary she would emigrate to the states where it was not a social taboo to be a single mother.

"Well... then we'd be done here. The best thing is to put the picture in your pocket and don't run around grinning. Not that another one will kill you. In four weeks I want to see you here again, understand?", her doctor had her firmly in view and Lucy grinned at her broadly.

"Yes, Edo-Sensei," she said and put the picture in her wallet. Her heart raced and she felt so incredibly happy. She rose, took her bag and then left the consulting room. She almost seemed to jump as she entered the waiting room. A quick glance at the clock made her cut short. She had been here an hour or so? Awesome. Gajeel sat at the table with a few children and painted with them what was somehow sweet and Levy read in business journals. She wandered to the lady in the antechamber and beamed at her.

"In four weeks I'll be back at Edo-Sensei," she said and the woman stared at her as if she were from the moon. A hard, contemptible trait lay around her lips, but she said nothing else, just nodded and made her an appointment. Lucy knew the lady knew what was wrong with her, but she didn't have the right to shout it out loud and insult her or anything like that.

"There you are finally, we've waited forever," Gajeel rose and snorted slightly and Levy also ripped herself off her reading, putting back the magazine into the rack and then rose as well.

"Can we then," Levy asked and Lucy nodded with a broad smile. Nothing could ruin her life right now. She took a thin jacket from Levy, put it on, shouldered her bag and the two followed her. Lucy almost jumped along the path and cheerfully hummed a song.

"So ... you are now ...", Gajeel began and looked quite confused. Lucy was really ... annoying. Even if he liked her somewhere, but to hell with the women. She had almost collapsed mentally the last few weeks and now she was beaming with the sun? Had she thrown anything in or something? Levy was also confused. Lucy turned around on her own axis and grinned broadly, then she nodded, pulled out her wallet and proudly showed them the ultrasound picture. The two stared first at the picture and then at Lucy wordlessly.

"Are those ... "

"Yes. I'm going to be a mom," Lucy squealed with a wide smile, wrapping up the photo again and keeping her wallet safely in her pocket. There were no other passers-by who had noticed. Levy looked around uncertainly.

"Say ... are two dots in one ... normal or ... ", Gajeel began and looked a little pale around the nose. Lucy grinned even wider and unconsciously stroked her abdomen. She giggled as if she was in love.

" Dude ... you will about ... ", he began and his eyes became bigger and bigger. A Natsu Dragneel was exhausting but two children of him? Who looked the same? He looked at Levy, who stared at Lucy with big eyes.

"So ... do you want to keep them?" she asked the question of questions and when Lucy nodded radiantly, turned around again and jumped away singing Gajeel laughed in disbelief.

"Honey ... as much as I love you but ... your best friend isn't right in her mind", he growled, "like a damn rabbit on drugs."

"I can only agree with you," Levy said, confused. Even she couldn't think of anything more. She was ... confused? Shocked? She didnt know. Honestly. She had really thought that Lucy would have an abortion but apparently ... she was ready to get twins from a guy she loved but who didn't know that and who believed that she was still a virgin. How would you explain that? Either a surrogate father had to come, or Lucy pinched her ass together and finally confessed to him. But Levy also knew that it wasn't so easy at the moment. Because Natsu had come together with Lisanna to everyone's surprise.

They went after Lucy so that they could be sure that she arrived safely at home. Not knowing that someone had been watching her. Someone who had seen everything.

She clenched her hands to fists and raged inside her. She had lied to him! She knew! A broad, diabolical grin spread on her lips. Oh she would make that bitch suffer for it. A nasty giggle slipped over her lips.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter. Pls let me know what you think.  
Greets Z

**Chapter 6**

Her heart raced and she trembled, feeling the nervousness and fear deep in her bones. Lucy swallowed slightly while Mira and Michelle sat in front of her and looked at her waiting. She had asked them to talk in confidence and so they were in Levy's apartment because here you could be sure that the walls had no ears.

She kneaded her hands, swallowed again. Carefully she lifted the gaze from her hands and looked first at her sister and then at her cousin. She hoped the two would help her. For without the help of both she would not be able to do all this. Sure, she had the support of Natsu's parents, but that wasn't enough. Both Michelle and Mirajane could run to their parents and rat her out. And that would be her downfall.

"So? What do you want to tell us?" Michelle asked and the bright, clear blue eyes of her big sister looked at her waiting. Lucy swallowed and her gaze scurried to Mira, who took only a sip of her tea and didn't say a word. She waited. Her heartbeat accelerated a little and she closed her eyes. She wanted to keep the twins. She wanted to raise them, give them a good life. Free from constraints and pressure from the family. Tears formed in her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she looked up and smiled slightly.

"I know ... you don't like Natsu", she said quietly and a laughing snort escaped Michelle's lips.

"That is still softly said. He is not good for you", replied the older one and crossed her arms under her opulent breasts, she looked unusually hard. She had contracted her eyebrows and a long fold was pulled over her otherwise so smooth forehead. Lucy pressed her lips together and for a moment doubts rolled up in her. Then Mira put the cup down.

"Are you pregnant from him," she asked. Her voice was calm and controlled, free of any feelings. Lucy widened her eyes and Michelle also stared at Mira with big eyes. Silence lay over the room and the blonde student swallowed, then she nodded timidly.

"From where..."

"I noticed it in your behavior. And your words about Natsu were clear," Mira said quietly and smiled gently. A tremor ran through Lucy and her eyes started burning again. Her throat tightened and her lower lip trembled.

"I...I want to keep them," she brought out and swallowed, taking a trembling breath. Mira looked at her waiting while Michelle looked frightened from one to the other.

"Does Natsu know?"

"No, not yet, but his parents do. They have already promised me their support," she whispered quietly and Mira nodded slightly again.

"How long has it been?"

"I'm in the seventh week," she said quietly and then pulled out a photo from the initial examination and pushed it over the glass table. Mirajane leaned forward without a word, grabbed it and looked at the photo. Then she smiled, stroked her fingertips over the life that was beginning and nodded. She put the picture back on the low glass table and nodded again.

"All right ... but you have to tell Natsu that is important," she said. Lucy's eyes widened and then tears ran down her cheeks. Michelle looked stunned between Lucy and her cousin Mira.

"Hold on, wait a minute. You just accept that, Mira? Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Why? I don't want my sweet little sister giving birth to such an idiot's children. She deserves something far better," Michelle exclaimed, and anger stood in her usually so gentle traits. Lucy flinched slightly and swallowed, driving over her cheeks.

"Mi-nee-chan", Lucy began carefully, but was interrupted.

"No! You shut up now, Lucy! You are 17! How will you raise children? How do you want to finish school? You do not want to tell me that you want to stay alone voluntarily? Natsu is with Lisanna. He has a girlfriend", her sister kept talking herself into rage, raging with anger. She couldn't understand how her sweet sister just threw away her whole life.

"Michelle!"

"No Mira! She throws her life away!"

"I ...", Lucy began and her heart beat loudly and painfully against her ribs. She bit her lower lip and her fingers dug into the soft wool dress she was wearing. She pulled her shoulders slightly up, then tightened them. Her hands lay protectively over her abdomen.

"Michelle ... I understand your concern, but I will bear the twins. Whether you want to help me or not. I am not alone. His parents, my friends and also Mira stand by me," she said, and in the brown soul mirrors there was a determination that made Michelle pause. There was no hesitation in her sister's voice. She swallowed easily, then sighing she lowered her gaze. Again silence lay over the living room. Michelle didn't want to lose her sister and she knew that this pregnancy would be anything but easy. She knew it because one thing was certain. The parents were not allowed to know anything about it. Both her father and mother would set heaven and hell in motion to have these children removed. Even when the three months were over.

She looked up and looked at her sister. Lucy had tears in her eyes and she saw the fear in her features, but she also saw the absolute determination to protect these children and raise them alone if necessary. Her heartbeat speeded up and then she lowered her eyes to the ultrasoundpicture, pulled it towards her and sighed. She would become an aunt. In absolute surrender Michelle raised her hands and smiled.

"All right, you idiot. I hadn't planned to be an aunt now, but ... your happiness is important to me. The main thing is that they have as little of this idiot as possible," she said, assuring her sister of her approval and support. Lucy's eyes widened, then absolute joy spread on her features. And that alone was enough for Michelle. She would protect her sister even if she had to get her parents out of the way.

one week later

She still hadn't managed to tell him. But she didn't know how to do that either. Honestly, how did you tell your best friend that you were pregnant from him? When he thought that you were still a virgin and especially when he was together with your own cousin? Lucy nibbled on her lower lip. She had proudly shown the photo to Igneel and Grandeeney and both were stunned. Igneel was happy to get two progenitors and Grandeeney was just finished. With the words: great, another two monsters in the family she had grabbed a 5 liter bottle of sake and drunk it. Lucy had been shocked and Igneel? He was about to cry for joy. That had been a sight for the gods. The great Oyabun of the Dragneel clan had cried of joy.

And today she had been invited to dinner at the Dragneels. She looked forward to it, even though she didn't know how Natsus' parents wanted to explain her presence. Next to Lisanna. Fortunately Natsu had still not noticed anything. Three weeks had passed since her initial examination and her mood swings and morning vomiting had not improved at all. Only Michelle and Mirajane knew about it in the meantime. They had been shocked, but were happy for her. Even if they weren't thrilled that Lucy didn't say a word and preferred to remain silent. But she didn't know how to tell him. He was always with Lisanna and it hurt her to see him like that.

She ran after them because Natsu had picked up both Lisanna and Lucy on his father's orders and her cousin giggled exaggeratedly in love as she hung on Natsu's arm. Lucy always felt a sharp sting in her heart. But she said nothing. What could she even say?

Then they arrived at the main entrance of the estate and his father's men bowed, dutifully greeting first Natsu and then Lisanna and then her. Lucy knew that the men didn't really like Lisanna. She saw it at them. But that was something that was mutual. Lisanna detested the yakuza and she only endured her presence because she loved Natsu. That was clear to everyone. Lucy smiled politely and nodded as she followed to the front door in a simple knee-length black dress, jacket and knee-high boots and thick socks.

Lucy sat down on the wooden floor in the entrance area, took off her boots and was immediately handed slippers by Metalicana. He smiled grimly at her and she thanked him quietly. Then she followed them through the long hallway that led past a courtyard. The sliding doors were closed, but she saw the good care Acnologia had given to this house and small gardens. Everything was polished to a high gloss and the dark wood shimmered slightly. Old lamps shimmered and gave everything a golden shine. Then they stepped into a large room.

The floor was covered with tatami mats. Elegant old lanterns hung on short chains from the roof braces and bathed everything in a golden, romantic light. On the left side stood an old samurai armour and a weapon stand on which an old, noble katana, a wakizashi and a long dagger rested. Lucy's gaze glided over the dark brown lacquered tables, which had been arranged in a U-shape. The individual tables were two metres long and one metre wide.

At the head she saw five tables standing and in the room 12 tables were stretched down. Lucy blinked with big eyes as she saw the masses of men dressed in black. Everyone looked bloody creepy. Many had scars on their faces and all were looking at the new arrivals. She chewed on her lower lip. Was that the whole clan? She swallowed slightly and looked at Natsu. Nervousness surged up in her. The tables were richly set with all sorts of delicacies and the company was already quite cheerful. They hadn't started eating yet, but you could see that the mood was relaxed.

Igneel and his wife sat in the middle at the head of the room, the armour and weapons directly behind them. To the left of Grandeeney sat Juvia, Wendy and a boy with dark hair, who seemed a bit tense and stared strained at the polished wood. Next to him was another square and Lucy frowned. To Igneel's right, Cobra was sitting with an elegantly dressed young woman wearing a wedding kimono. She smiled in love. Next to Cobra there were two places available. Natsu let herself fall into the place next to the unknown one and Lisanna was about to sit next to him, but Igneel interrupted her.

"Lisanna, your seat is next to Romeo, Wendy's friend," silence spread throughout the room and everyone stared at the head, who was carrying a bowl of sake to his lips. Lucy's eyes widened. Had he gone completely mad? Shouldn't she be sitting there? Her heartbeat accelerated and her cousin straightened up. She frowned confused and Acnologia pushed her in the right direction. She distorted her face, but didn't say a word. Metalicana took Lucy by the elbow and just placed her next to Natsu. Burning redness lay on her cheeks and you would have heard a pin fall. Natsu was also confused and looked from Lucy to his father.

"Uh... Too-sama," he said and sounded amazingly polite. But no wonder either. Lucy understood that this was his brother's wedding dinner that she had understood the second she saw the wedding kimono. And swallowed. Had Igneel just ranked her above Lisanna? The girl Natsu was with? Her throat tightened. How was she supposed to explain that?

"Yes?"

"Why are you putting my girlfriend on the other side of the table?" he asked, confused. Everyone else was also confused. Igneel was an absolutely admired man and everyone in the clan loved him, but sometimes some could not quite follow his actions in mind. He drank the sake, put the bowl down, leaned forward relaxed and grinned.

"Lucy stands higher in rank. After all, she's pregnant from you, you foolish son," he said and you could only tell thanks to the sound of his voice, that he had clearly already had more intus than he should. Lucys eyes widend and her breathing stopped. Was he fucking serious? It was as if her heart had stopped for a moment and now it resumed its work twice as fast. She swallowed lightly and cramped. Natsus head flew around to her and he stared at her with widened eyes. Grandeeney growled, but did nothing else to reprimand her husband or refute his words. Here before all eyes she would never do that.

"Luce," he asked confusedly and she stared at him. Everything around her began to spin and she couldn't breathe.

"Tell me ... that this is a joke," Natsu said, laughing uncertainly and swallowing. He became pale and pulled his brows together. All the yakuza members listened to them and they were all perplexed. Lucy felt the burning in her eyes and turned away with burning cheeks as the first tears glided down her cheeks. Inside she cursed herself as she took a rattling breath. Natsu's eyes became even bigger as he understood. When he recognized the lie.

"Lucy," he growled and stood up jerkily, staring down at her. She had lied to him! His body trembled with suppressed anger.

"You lied to me," he hissed angrily and she trembled to raise her eyes. Raging fear surged in her, reaching icy for her heart and when she saw the suppressed anger in his gaze. She pressed her lips tightly together. Then she took a trembling breath and rose staggering. She retreated from him, but was grabbed from behind and raised her gaze, almost twisted. Who stopped her? Atlas looked down at her with a smile.

"You shouldn't run away," he said quietly and she clenched her hands to fists. She gritted her teeth tightly and tore herself away from the redhead. Then her gaze fixed on Natsu. She wouldn't make a scene here. She was too proud for that. Her heartbeat raced, Natsu approached her, raised his hand and slapped her. It clapped loudly and her head flew to the side. Shocked, she opened her eyes and held her burning right cheek.

"You lied to me, Lucy Heartfilia," he growled angrily. She stared at him and anger surged up into her. She pulled her shoulders up, then took a step forward and rammed her knee between his legs. All the men in the room flinched. He gasped and sank to his knees, keeping his pace.

"If you ever hit me again, Natsu Dragneel, Igneel Dragneel's second son, believe me you won't find mercy," she hissed angrily. Then her angry gaze turned to Igneel and growled at him viciously. He pulled up both eyebrows.

"And you!" she hissed, "I thought we had a deal? That I'd tell him when the OCCASION IS FAVOURABLE? BUT NO! YOU DRINK ONE OVER YOUR THIRST AND TALK IT OUT IN FRONT OF YOUR WHOLE CLAN? I' M HAVING ENOUGH! I'M GOING," she roared and yelled at a yakuza boss in front of the assembled crew. She was so angry, had eaten all her worries into her for so long, that now everything burst out. If these men thought she was afraid of Igneel just because he was the head of a yakuza clan, they were wrong. Her father was much worse and far more ruthless. She whirled around staring at Metalicana and Atlas.

"Out of the way," she hissed and the two men were smart enough to immediately avoid a pregnant, angry woman. She rushed out of the room, turned left and stomped away furiously.

"Goddamn men! Brainless monkey asses! If only one of them steps under my fucking eyes again, I'll tear you all to pieces! ALL OF THEM, DO YOU HEAR? THEN YOU LEARN YOU TO KNOW ME FROM ANOTHER SIDE, YOUR SOAPED CAPSPSPATS", she was getting louder and louder shouting herself into rage. She was angry yes, but there was also a good portion of pregnancy hormones in it. But still. What occurred to him to slap her? Sure, she had lied to him, but she had been waiting for the right moment all along. Tears ran down her face. Then she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and tried to calm down, sat down in the entrance area and put on her boots. She would go home. Natsu could be stolen from her in the near future.

"Wow... Natsu, are you stupid or something?" Metalicana asked and laughed darkly. He stood there and all the yakuza members had listened to Lucys roar with big eyes. They all knew her since Natsu first brought her along and they all liked her back then. She had always been open and friendly. In the beginning she had been afraid of the creepy men in black, the scars and the weapons, but she had lost this fear quite fast. The salmon haired one straightened up. His crotch hurt like hell and he distorted his face into a grimace. He was shocked and hurt. She had lied to him! She had lied to him for two months and had not deemed it necessary to tell him the truth. The betrayal of this lie burned like fire in his heart and he felt the senseless urge to destroy something. When Metalicana asked him, he angrily raised his gaze.

"Please what?"

"I asked if you were stupid."

"No."

"Then why do you let such a awesome girl slip away?" asked Weisslogia and Natsu fixed his gaze on the man. He was tall, well trained and had shoulder-length white blonde hair. Scars were running over the dark skin. He seemed more relaxed than most of the others here. Natsu crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"She lied to me! She said that we weren't ... you know. And then my father knows before me that she is pregnant? She hasn't said a word for two fucking months," he hissed and you could hear that his pride and ego were clearly scratched. But that didn't really interest anyone here.

"Don't be such a pussy. She was probably afraid. Think about how illegitimate children are treated in our society," Cobra said and snorted. He reached for the hand of Kinana, who smiled radiantly and stroked the slight bulge of her belly. Natsu growled angrily.

"She betrayed me!"

"You could have just drunk less, too."

"My good is the junior dull-minded," said Acnologia and snorted. Igneel laughed quietly. He reached for the sack cup, but Grandeeney growled so deeply and angrily that he swallowed and quickly pulled his hand back.

"Lucy loves you, just by the way," Grandeeney said and sighed annoyed.

" Besides ... your great-aunt Porlyusica has her in treatment and said that she asked her not to tell anyone so that her father wouldn't force her to have an abortion. She asked for it to be kept secret until it was no longer possible. Natsu ... you know what Jude Heartfilia is like. He would kick her out of the house just because it's your brood she volunteers," his mother said dryly, took a cup of green tea and drank it unmoved without cooling it. She was so direct and honest that the others looked at her wordlessly in the room. The faces of all the members reflected anger and horror.

"Ab... abortion?" Natsu asked, and he felt like his heart was pausing for a moment. He swallowed. She wanted his children? His heartbeat speeded up and he bit his lower lip. She had said she had been waiting for the right moment. And when would that have been? Then Lisanna rose and looked at Natsu with big eyes. And Natsu it hit him. He had never really given Lucy the chance, even if he had, because Lisanna had always been near him. And now he understood it. She had asked him for forgiveness in tears. She had cried when she asked him for forgiveness and had said that she couldn't tell him. Fear was building up in him. He would lose her. His heart raced and icy fear grabbed it, he felt the lump in his throat and swallowed hard. And he became aware of something. He loved her. He loved Lucy and didn't want her to leave her. He swallowed and felt shame blush on his cheeks as he jumped up. He had to tell her that. Absolutely!

"Start without me," he exclaimed and sprinted down the hall.

"Finally", Grandeeney growled and took another sip of the hot tea. Then she snapped her fingers.

"Acnologia."

"Anego-sama," he said and bowed. She smiled cool and condescending and pointed towards Lisanna.

"Take the garbage away," she said and took another sip of tea. Lisanna ripped open her eyes in panic, "but keep the garbage alive."

"Yes," he said and a cold smile lay on his lips as he walked towards Lisanna. She swallowed panically and retreated. But Acnologia did not let himself be stopped. He grabbed her by the upper arm and mercilessly dragged the thin girl out of the room, down the hall and to the entrance. Natsu just put on his shoes and cursed about annoying leather shoes. Apparently he liked his jumper boots better.

"You don't have to show up here again, Lisanna Strauss," Acnologia said, and the narrow white-haired one stared stunned at the man who looked back emotionlessly. Natsu didn't even care. He jumped up and ran out. While running, he pulled out his cell phone and called Gajeel, whom he had saved on speed dial. He wouldn't call Lucy now because she wouldn't answer anyway. She was too angry at him. His heart clenched as he accelerated his steps and ran the way to the temple. He wanted to catch her up, intercept her so she wouldn't do anything stupid like talking to her father. After a short tune it clicked on the line.

"Damn fucker what do ya want?", Gajeel growled irritatedly. Natsu grinned broadly. Obviously he had just disturbed him during sex with Levy. Or while sleeping, but he didn't sound tired, so it was sex.

"I'm going to be a father," Natsu exclaimed, and for a moment there was silence at the other end of the line.

"Yeah, we know, you bird", it came untouched by Gajeel and Natsu growled. Gajeel and Levy had known it before him? Who knew it before him too? The whole fucking world? That made him angry, but somehow it showed that Lucy was afraid to tell him and that hurt.

"Did she call ya? She just went off after threatening my father and the whole clan," he explained and Gajeel laughed.

"I am telling ya. Like a rabbit on drugs, the woman. No, she did not call here", Gajeel said and sounded serious.

"She's in her second month, so move yer ass, all right? I'll finally become a godfather," came the answer, "and if something happens to one of them, I'll rip ya ass open up to ya ears, understood?"

And Gajeel hung up with that. Natsu closed the phone and let it slide into his trouser pocket. He put another speed in, came around a street corner and saw her. His Lucy! He made a jump, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her away from the street. She screamed in horror and he crashed against a house wall in his back. His heart pounded against his ribs as she kicked him, or at least tried.

"Wow, keep calm, Luce," Natsu said laughing and held her tight. Not too hard, but so she couldn't escape from him. She paused immediately when she recognized him.

"Natsu? What... what should that?" she asked and he heard how irritated she was. That made him grin and he pulled her a little tighter, stroked with the tip of his nose along her neck and then bit her in the ear.

"I have realized what is more important to me," he then growled darkly, turned her over in his arms so that she could look at him and had to and grinned at her. She growled and glared at him. She was smaller than him and he held her arms. She couldn't beat him that way. Another growl fled her full lips. He smiled down at her. His throat was tightened, his heart beating up to his neck. He felt insecurity and heat rising into his cheeks. But he would do this now. He didn't want to waste another second.

"Luce ... I ... I am sorry. It went through with me. Okay? But ... doesn't want ya to be gone. I want ya to stay with me," he said and his words were honest, she saw it in his eyes and stared at him, swallowed and tears formed in her eyes. At the sight of her tears his stomach contracted.

"Is ... is this a joke? First you hit me and now suddenly it occurs to you that you do want me", she asked and her lower lip trembled. He grinned broadly and bent down a bit.

"I ... Luce I love ya. To be honest, I was just too scared to say that," he confessed and his heart hammered loudly and so fast as if he had run a marathon. Her eyes widened and she stared at him with big eyes. Her heart raced and her thoughts stopped. Only tears ran down her cheeks and he swallowed slightly, could feel her clinging to him. He pulled his eyebrows together.

"Hey, don't cry."

"But ... ", she began and sniffed. He laughed quietly, loosened one arm and then stroked her tears with his right thumb.

"May I take that as yes?"

"What? I ... I ... "

"Do ya love me, Luce?" he asked and was so close to her face with his that her nose tips almost touched. She stared at him and sniffed again. Then she leaned against him, stood on her toes.

"I love you, Natsu" she whispered and he passed the few inches and kissed her. He released the clasp and wrapped his arms around her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck and pressed herself against him. She felt so happy. Her heart was racing and she knew everything was going to be fine. Absolutely everything.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, and here comes the next chapter. It's still unchecked, but I hope it's not to bad. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think.
> 
> Greets Z

**Chapter 7**

He stroked with his fingers through the long blond hair that spread over the pillow and looked smilingly at the ceiling, had his other arm tightly wrapped around her, while Lucy nestled to him and slept. The wedding dinner had been over for hours and he still felt this joy in his heart. After the confession and the kiss they had gone back and Natsu had called Michelle and Mirajane and informed them about everything so that Lisanna could not run and squeal to her grandfather. He didn't want Lucy's parents to come in here in the next few days and destroy everything. Because finally Lucy was His. His girlfriend, his woman. She belonged to him and he belonged to her and that would not change, he would take care of that himself.

A slight grin was spreading on his features. He became a father, damn it! Apparently his mother had been right. But did it bother him? Not really. She had proudly shown him the picture of the ultrasound and when he learned that there would be twins, the party had been even more lively. A big grin lay on his lips and warmth spread in his chest.

"Why are you smiling like that," Lucy asked quietly and her voice was drowsy. Apparently she had just woken up. He turned to his side and looked down at her with a smile, grinning even wider.

"I'm just happy, that's all," he replied and stroked his fingertips over her pale, soft skin. Lucy's eyes got bigger and she blinked. Then she giggled and snuggled closer to him. He pulled her closer to his chest, stroked her neck and enjoyed the feeling of her soft body against his.

"I'm sorry I've been silent so far," she said. He pulled her a little closer and buried the face in her hair. She smelled wonderfully of strawberries and vanilla and he grumbled contentedly.

"Luce ... stop apologizing," he purred and kissed her neck. She gasped and he felt her fingernails clawing into his chest. His lips wandered over her skin, stroked over her ear and he bit hesitantly into it what made her wheeze again. He grinned. She was sensitive and he would lie if that didn't turn him on. He felt a pull in his groin and she gasped again, this time a little frightened. Natsu detached himself a little from her and met her gaze from big brown eyes.

"But ... "

"No buts. You were afraid I'd understand... but Luce?"

"Yes?"

"Don't ever do that again, you hear? You know me, I hate lies," he said and his voice was colder than he wanted. Lucy's eyes widened and she swallowed, then she nodded. Redness spread on her cheeks. He smiled and pressed a kiss on her forehead, pulling her closer again. She was so damn soft and fragile at the same time. How did that work?

"Uh ... do you think you can wait with the sex?" she asked then and Natsu froze in his movement. Silence lay over the room and his cheeks glowed as he cleared his throat.

"Um ... "

"I mean ... I love you and everything and ... uh ... your body is absolutely hot", she started and he had to grin, "but ... I don't feel comfortable having sex right now. Is that okay?" she seemed so insecure and it stabbed him in the heart. Nevertheless he smiled and stroked through her hair.

"Sure. We've been a couple since last night. Don't worry about that," he said quietly and grinned at her. She sighed and smiled broadly at him, nodded and snuggled up to him a little more. He closed his eyes and played thoughtlessly with her silky hair. His heart beat fast and strong against his ribs.

"Twins, huh?" he asked and she giggled softly.

"Yep."

"I'm surprised that mother hasn't beheaded me yet," Natsu replied and felt Lucy giggle softly again, which made him grin. Even if it worried him somehow that the possibility still existed. But it was a fact that no one who was still in his right mind voluntarily exposed himself to the wrath of Grandeeney Dragneel. She wasn't the Oyabun's wife without a reason. Everyone here had the greatest respect for her, some people were more afraid of her than their father and that meant something. Even Zeref, Acnologia's foster son, who really didn't have all the cups in his cupboard, obeyed her instructions. And normally he only listened to Acnologia or to him.

"She got drunk when I came back from the first examination," Lucy whispered quietly and Natsu's eyes widened. He swallowed.

"And your father cried in joy and kissed the ultrasound image," she giggled quietly and with disbelief he looked at Lucy.

"Are ya serious?"

"Absolutely. Your mother was about to strangle him," she said and he laughed. That his old man reacted in such a way that something he never would have thought of.

The vibration of his cell phone woke him up and annoyed he turned to the side, detached himself from her sweet, soft body and pulled the smartphone to him, answering the call.

"Mhm," he growled into the receiver.

"We have an assignment, Laxus. Come out of your bed, I'll wait for you on the ground floor," the female but harsh voice reached his ears and he sighed annoyed.

"Erza?" he asked confused. She had woken him from deep sleep. But that wasn't a trick, because he had an absolutely light sleep. Nevertheless the words reached him slowly and he sighed deeply.

"Yes, you flat pliers. Who do you think is speaking here? Santa Claus? Your father, or what? Come on down here, or I'll come and get you," she said, and with every second he wasted waiting, her bad mood seemed to grow. Cold shivers glided down his back.

" Yeah it' s good, I'm coming down. Give me a break," he said, snorting annoyed. She growled again, but hung up. For him the sign that he was dismissed for the time being. But definitely only for the next five minutes. As long as he wasn't down then. The young woman next to him stirred easily and grumbled reluctantly. He bent over her and gave her a quick kiss, then he swung his legs out of bed, overcame the small distance to the table on the wall where his clothes hung over a chair and slipped in.

"Where are you going?" her soft voice quietly reached his ears and he sighed. So he had woken her up after all. Great. What he couldn't use now was an affectionate girlfriend. That's why he snorted annoyed, turned to her while he put on a vest and locked it and then put on a black shirt over it. He avoided her gaze. Shunned the gaze from those big blue eyes that now looked at him reproachfully. He swallowed slightly, his throat tightening.

"You are going ... _to work_?" she asked and alone she the way how she emphasized the word work, clearly showed him what Mira thought of his job. She came from a rich family. Quite in contrast to him. He had grown up in the gutter before Igneel had found him and taken him in, before he had met his grandfather. Accordingly, he had joined his clan at that time. Igneel was his great role model. He sighed and drove irritated through the blond short hair he had from his mother, as he knew.

"Listen ... ", he began and paused, his gaze lay on her, but he did not know what he should say. Mira swallowed and turned the gaze away, pulled the slender legs close to her upper body, wrapped her arms around it. Her luscious breasts were pushed up and he wished he could stay and hold her in his arms. Wish he could calm her down, pull her over and make her forget the world out there.

"Mira... sweetie," he began and his voice was husky and rough. He swallowed. How could he make her understand it? That he had duties? He was not allowed to talk about his work, that was a fact. But he wanted her to know that he wasn't doing dirty things. He did not want her to hate him. His lips pressed together, his hands clenching into fists. But she shook her head. The white pony fell into her forehead and the white curls fell like a veil around her, enveloping her body.

"Just go, asshole. Then do your job. But don't come to me when you get shot," she growled and he heard the pain clearly in her voice. He knew she was afraid that one day he wouldn't come back. He knew it, but Laxus couldn't change that. Everyone in this world had a role to play in doing a job and his role was to kick the ass of the really bad guys. Because that was what the clan actually did. They all had the image of a yakuza clan, but they actually dig out terror cells and organizations when the government demanded it. Sure, the clan also had two three brothels in the red light district, but the girls there were well treated and if they didn't want to, they weren't forced to do anything. But those were things he wasn't allowed to tell her, he couldn't tell her.

It hurt him and he would love to change this world for her, but he was just a small cogwheel on the whole. The fact that she was talking to him made him incredibly happy. His cell phone was vibrating, but he ignored his phone.

"I love you, you know that," he said and his voice trembled slightly. He swallowed and took a deep breath, drove over his neck and then grabbed his gun holster, put it on and strapped two knives to his thigh.

Mira watched him do it and it simply killed her that he was going. That he would hurt people again. She wasn't stupid, she knew he was a yakuza. Scum of society. She had already known that in high school and yet it hadn't stopped her from falling in love with him. She bit her lower lip, felt the burning in her eyes. Her heart cramped. She knew that he loved her and yet it hurt that she couldn't stop him from the violence. Again the phone vibrated and she felt as if she could feel the anger of the caller. Angrily, she looked at the smartphone, pressed her lips together and crawled resolutely across the wide bed, reaching for the device. And before Laxus could stop her, she answered the call.

"What?" she hissed. For a moment there was silence.

"Where is Laxus?" came the cold, irritable counter-question. Mira's eyes became narrow. She knew his voice. Erza. A dark rumble rolled up her throat and hot rage gathered in her belly. Poisonous dripping jealousy stretched her claws out to her heart.

"Listen carefully, you red-haired slut. He's about to put on protective clothing and weapons! If anything happens to him, I'll skin you and your darling. Only that this is clear," she hissed furiously into the device and silence spread both in the room and on the other side of the listener.

"Are you serious? If you think you can defeat me in a duel, Strauss. You're just a ridiculous little doll and don't deserve him at all, you snipe," came the cool answer. Mira felt the inevitable urge to drag Erza through the phone and rip her head off. Or to cut her into strips. Whichever fitted better.

"I mean it, Scarlett! If I don't get him back in **one piece** and **intact**, you'll lose more than one eye, understand? Then you will suffer so much that you wish you had never been born," she nagged and then the mobile phone was taken away from her. She hissed furiously, straightened up and wanted to grab it, but then she was pulled against his hard body and he kissed her possessively, plundered her mouth. Mira slapped his shoulders to let her go, but at the same time returned the kiss. She was so unspeakably angry. Then Laxus detached himself from the kiss, grinned at her dirty and she gasped softly. Her chest raised and lowered hectically and a deep blush lay on her high cheekbones.

"You're incredibly sexy, Mira," he snarled, pressed a quick kiss on her lips, loosened and bit her neck still teasingly, then licked her skin apologetically. She moaned. He was mean! Her body tingling and rage turned to excitement. But she knew he wouldn't go to bed with her.

"Erza, calm down, I'll be right there," he growled into his cell phone and hung up. He pressed another firm kiss on her lips, stroked her back and sucked the scent of her hair, her body deep into his lungs.

"I'll come back to you, don't worry. Nothing and nobody can stop me from ever coming back to you," he said and his voice was rough. Mira smiled slightly, nodded and her gaze followed him until he left the bedroom, walked down the hall. Her throat tightened and she felt the treacherous burning of her eyes. She swallowed when she heard the crack of the door and gritted her teeth tightly. And then the tears came.

He drove the 10 floors down to the underground garage with the elevator. With a quiet ping, the technician announced that he was on the desired floor and while the door slid to the side, the view of his light grey soul mirror slid through the poorly lit underground car park. He immediately saw the bright red head of hair and set himself in motion.

And he had clearly not been mistaken. She was furious. But that didn't really interest him. He walked the remaining meters while she, wearing clothes as black as he, crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her weapons were hidden under leather clothes and she fixed her eyes on him.

"What?"

"It took too long, Dreyar," she hissed angrily and sighed annoyed, twisting her eyes.

"Put a stain on your shirt, Scarlett. Mira is more important to me than the shit here," he growled and stepped to the passenger seat, because he knew that she would drive. He knew her too well then. Erza Scarlett, undercover agent by profession, would never let anyone else drive her beloved car. Not even Jellal was allowed to drive the car and that should mean something. He was usually allowed to do pretty much anything with Erza. She growled at him angrily and for a moment he was afraid that she might jump over her car and go to his throat, but then she seemed to have calmed down, because she got in without comment, but threw the car door too loud. He turned his eyes again, then got into the car with her. She just got so annoyed that it wasn't funny anymore. But she was also his partner on the job.

Whereby that was something that was chosen according to abilities and not inclinations. If he could decide, he would never have made Erza his partner. He just couldn't stand her enough for that. She was annoying, always had a different view and opinion than him and argued with him far too often. And in her opinion, he should just send Mira into the desert. He buckled on because the crazy woman next to him drove like a sow and pulled out his smartphone to check the data on the job.

_Razzia in the docks_, he thought and pulled the eyebrows together. There was clearly too little information left for him. But he knew that the terrible thing next to him would clearly have more information. So it was time to engage in a conversation with her, even if he didn't like it at all.

"So ... a raid?" he asked growling and she grumbled in agreement.

"Erza ... "

"Don't talk to me stupidly from the side, I'll drive," she snarled at him and he frowned. That was not her way. So ... somewhere already, but normally she didn't hold any information from him.

"Okay ... Raven Tail or Tartaros?" he asked and she stiffened. Which confused him even more, but it also made him slightly aggressive that she didn't speak out.

"I need to know what we're going to dig up," he said and she sighed quietly, turning with squeaking tires. It was a miracle that the car had not overturned at this speed. But he wouldn't make the mistake of commenting on her driving style. He was attached to his life.

"Both. Mard Geer lets Jackal buy drugs," she said, and he hated it when he had to pull everything out of her nose.

"And who is the buyer? According to your information?"

"Flare Corona," she said quietly, and he sighed annoyed. He knew her, had grown up with her on the street. She hadn't been as lucky as he had been. On the contrary. She had really slipped into the shit. Sold drugs, weapons and if the rumors were true, then Raven Tail also got into human trading. So it was time to get this yakuza clan out. Whereby they were not a real clan. They tried to become one, to join the big ones. He knew that, because none other than his own dirtbag of his biological father was the boss of Raven Tail.

"And that was so hard now?" he asked into the silence. He took a look at the integrated navigation device and frowned. They were almost there. Only 5 minutes left. Erza sighed again. Something seemed to oppress her, but the way he knew her, she wouldn't just give it up.

"Go on, talk. I don't feel like thinking about it during our job, all right? That's just distracting," he growled and stared out of the side window.

"Flare ... you know her. That makes it problematic."

" Yeah is clear. I am an adult, Erza."

"You're 25."

"Yes, jesus. I am grown up. I can handle it. She didn't pay attention and keeps riding herself into crime. So I will nail her down and hand her over. Just like this bomb junkie Jackal," he said and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Erza's gaze seemed thoughtful as she stopped in a side street and turned off the engine, parked her car. Then she looked at him with a serious look.

"Let's hope so."

Laxus grinned, unbuckled himself.

" Will go wrong alright", he said and got out. He loosened his shoulders.

_Then let's go, he thought_, and his gaze was grim as Erza followed him. He pushed all his thoughts away as they walked through the darkness, pulling their weapons.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are in the next chapter. At first I have to say, that in the first part are some creepy things which could trigger you. Torture and child abuse. I mark it, so if you don't want to read it, pls just don't. And to all wo love Lisanna, this isn't a 'Shame-on-Lisanna'-FF. Yes I don't like her, because I think she isn't needed in FT, but in this ff she is broken and a bit insane. But it would explained why. Like everytime, let my know what you think. And still not checked.
> 
> Greets Z

**Chapter 8**

Anger filled her senses, raged inside her and crawled like burning lava through her veins. Her body trembled, was tense and it felt as if she was constantly under electric power. Her heart raced and she gritted her teeth so tightly that they grinded and her jaw had become tense in the meantime. He was together with her. With **_her_**. That slut! Lisanna had lowered her eyes to the tatami mats in her room as she felt the burning in her eyes. Her throat tightened and pain burned in her heart. She felt abysmal hatred. Hate for Lucy. How could she do that? How could she dare to be knocked up by Natsu? He was not to blame, which in her opinion only hit Lucy, that disgusting, abnormal woman. Her heartbeat was racing, blood was rushing in her ears and she took a step toward her dresser. She looked up and her vision blurred as she looked at the pictures standing on it. They were family photos.

Her gaze glided over the smiling faces of her siblings, the cool, almost emotionless faces of her parents. And then her gaze fell on an old photograph where she stood next to her cousin Lucy. They both wore a white dress and smiled into the camera. Hot fiery anger surged in her, she passed the bare meter and rammed her fist unchecked into the picture. Glass splintered, pain twitched through her skin as the splinters dug into her skin, but she didn't even feel it all. She took the picture and threw it on the floor, stepping on it again and again with her foot.

Her breathing went wheezing, rattling. Tears came into her eyes, veiled her vision and distorted everything. But she couldn't stop stepping on that picture. She wanted to kill her, put her fingers around Lucy's slender, pale neck and squeeze until she heard the crack of her neck. She wanted to feel her cousin's blood running over her hands, she wanted to feel her dying by her hand. An insane, cruel smile distorted her lips, and as tears ran down her cheeks, a crazy giggle broke from her lips.

_"This is not appropriate."_

She flinched as if she had been beaten, pulled up the gaze from the picture and swirled around her room with a searching look. But there was only her bed, the desk, the closet and her commode. She blinked and stared searchingly, a tremor seized her senses. She knew this voice. It was her mother's voice. Her nostrils widened and then she swallowed lightly, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat. Her heart was still burning, her soul screamed and waved bleeding and squirming on the floor. And it was as if she could hear her mother's voice again.

_"You will never be as beautiful as Lucy. Your behaviour is not appropriate for a lady of the house Strauss. How many times do I have to tell you that?"_

Her breathing accelerated and she moved away from the destroyed picture and her dresser, fleeing into a corner of her room over to her bed. Fear crept up into her, clutching her stomach with ice-cold claws, and she felt nausea surge inside her. She knew she wasn't here. She would never set foot in that temple. And yet she heard her mother's voice.

Lisanna swallowed in panic, crawled further into the corner of the room, pulled her legs close to her body and felt that she could no longer breathe. Hot tears were still dripping from her cheeks. Her body trembled and her heart pounded in panic, hurting with every beat and she felt the pull of memories. The dark, disgusting maelstrom of events she never wanted to experience again, that she had repressed.

_"You are unworthy!"_

The words were like poison. Poison that devoured her thoughts, her soul and destroyed her. She whimpered and pressed her hands to her ears. A malicious laughter penetrated her ears. Laughter that actually could not be real. Because that woman was not here. She did not want to. Lisanna wanted to fight, but the pull of her own memories was too strong. A whimper fled from her lips before these memories sloshed over her, overwhelming her.

**AN: And know comes the ugly side of this ff. Or more one of the reason, why Lisanna is broken in soul and mind. So the torture and abuse stuff I told you on the beginning. I'm marking this, because you don't have to read it, if you would not.**

_"Lisanna!" Her father's cold and stern voice cut the cool air and she flinched, cautiously raising her gaze. And she met dark, black eyes. She swallowed easily as she smiled cautiously._

_"What did I tell you? You shouldn't grin at me so stupidly, disgusting scum!" her father rebuked her, overcame the distance to her and pain twitched through her face when he hit her. Her head flew aside and tears formed in her eyes as her trembling hand raised to her reddening cheek. Her lower lip trembled, but she knew that if she started crying now it would only make things worse. Fear seized her heart and she felt the trembling of her knees. She heard the sharp click of his tongue and raised her gaze again. Timidly. The hate and disgust in his dark eyes made her flinch. His lips warped contemptuously._

_"Why can't you be like Lucy? She is a true image of noble descent. But no, you have to be like that," his voice dripped with blatant disgust. Icy cold reached for her senses and carefully she took a step back._

_"Where is your answer, ungrateful brat?"_

_"I ... i i i i'm s-s-s-sorr-sorry...", she brought out stuttering and her voice was thin, trembling._

_"What are you sorry for?"_

_"T-that ... t-that i-i'm n-n-not l-l-like L-Lucy, f-father," she just stuttered the answer and then felt another hit. Pain struck her skull. She whimpered up and wanted to retreat, but a big hand reached for her left upper arm, grabbed her and dragged her relentlessly. She whimpered again and the grip strengthened._

_"P-Papa ..." she whimpered and tears ran down her cheeks. She was dragged along so fast that her short legs didn't come along and she stumbled, but he didn't give her time to get up, just dragged her along. Her vision was blurred and bottomless fear made her narrow body tremble. She was afraid because she knew what he would do. A world of pain awaited her. Her throat tightened and she wheezed chopped off panicked and couldn't breathe. And then she was thrown into a dark room. Pain jerked through her body as she hit the cold stone floor. Air was pressed out of her lungs and she whimpered again. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she lifted herself up, looking around trembling. Fear made her heart race, she took a rattling breath. And then she was grabbed by a big, coarse man's hand in her neck. She whimpered and lost the floor under her feet, felt someone grab her arms and the next moment she felt cold metal on her wrists. Pain flashed through her shoulders as she was let go and her body weight hung on her arms. She was too small and couldn't touch the floor, looked around in panic, but it was too dark. She couldn't see anything. And then she felt someone cut her clothes. Hearing the tearing of fabric and fear made her really freeze. Her eyes were wide open in panic and she dared not to breathe. She felt the cold air on her pale, tender child skin, heard the creaking of leather. She heard a hiss and then a burning, hot pain shot over her back. Lisanna screamed._

She felt the burning on her back as if she had been punished today for things she could not influence. Things she just couldn't change. Her fingernails dug into her scalp as she shivered between her pillows and her rumpled duvet. The memory burned like acid in her body. She whimpered as hot tears ran down her cheeks, bouncing back and forth.

At that time she had tried everything, had let her hair grow, had even dyed it blond. She had worn brown contact lenses, dressed like Lucy, talked like her and moved like her. Until Lucy told her she thought it was strange and creepy and didn't want her to copy it from her. Lucy had cried because she didn't want to be replaced had angered her parents and Lucy's and this had led to further punishments from her parents. Punishments that she did not endure physically in the long run.

It had been her grandfather who had taken Lisanna in. He had saved her and taken her in. Her brother and sister had already stayed with him before, because they were older and went to schools nearby. But Lisanna had been too young and everyone had said that she should stay with her parents. That this was a mistake only turned out later. Hours passed during which the high school student sat crying on her bed. At some point the exhaustion won and she finally fell asleep.

Juvia hummed quietly as she baked cookies. She wanted to give it to someone very special and her heart raced with excitement when she thought only of him. A gentle smile lay on her lips and a happy gleam lay in her eyes. He was unique, smart, sexy and strong. Gray Fullbuster. Son of a police officer and a state prosecutor. He went to her university and attended the same courses as her.

The ringing of the clock in the oven ripped her out of her mind and she flinched slightly, then opened the glazed door, pulled out the tin with a glove, on which steaming cookies were lying, and laid it down on the marble worktop so the tin could cool out. Then she pranced through the kitchen, turned off the oven, and picked out the colorful icing she wanted to use to decorate the cookies. A soft, happy smile lay on her lips.

"Jo, Nee-chan", Natsu came yawning into the kitchen. Juvia raised her eyes and smiled at her younger brother. He yawned heartily, scratched the back of his head and rubbed his belly. He wore only boxer shorts and Juvia clicked her tongue. She thought he shouldn't walk around like that. That just wasn't right. He could also get sick. But he just grinned broadly and laughed quietly. She didn't even have to say anything and he knew what she meant. Then he sniffed and a glow stepped into his dark eyes as he approached.

"Ah! Not for you, Natsu," Juvia exclaimed protestingly before he could even say anything and pulled a kitchen knife against him. Natsu raised his hands defensively, but still had to grin.

"Wow ... Nee-chan. Calm down. For Gray, that troll, right?"

"Don't call him that," she growled and pulled her brows together.

"Does he actually notice what he has in you?"

His words made her swallow and she bit her lower lip. She put the knife aside and turned her eyes away.

"So no ... "

"Natsu I ... "

"Nee-chan. Listen. I see how in love you are, okay? And I know him. He was at my school after all, even if I don't understand why, because he's supposed to have sooo good grades. He is not good for you. He ignores you since the first year of high school. Since he knows that you come from a yakuza family, he treats you cool and pejorative," Natsu said and looked down on his older sister, who was one head smaller than him. She bit her lower lip and he saw the treacherous shimmer in her eyes. He felt her tense under his hands, how cramped she was and knew she was suffering. She suffered more than she should. She deserved a happy future, but she only wanted it with Gray, who had rejected her several times. Natsu smiled sadly, wrapped one arm around Juvia and pulled her to him, stroking with his fingers through the soft blue hair.

And that was enough to break her dams. Her shoulders began to tremble and he felt the tears running down his chest as she cried silently, clinging to him. Natsu wasn't particularly good at comforting. Juvia sniffed and her heart hurt, burning, while the tears wouldn't stop flowing. She couldn't stop while tears ran down her cheeks and snot from her nose. She clung to the warm body of her brother, who always felt 6° warmer than everyone else. A thick lump was stuck in her throat and she could barely breathe.

At some point she managed to detacht herself from him, still sniffing. Natsu laughed quietly, then got her a kitchen roll so she could wipe her nose and tears while he freed himself from snot and tears. Juvia smiled weakly at her brother.

"I'm actually the big sister. I should comfort you and the other way round," she said in a scratchy voice. Natsu just grinned, fluffed through her long hair and left the kitchen laughing. She smiled, then turned back to her cookies, decorated them, wrapped them carefully. Then she put them in her bag, washed her face, put on some makeup and then left her parents' house.

She still wouldn't give up. Not because it might have been difficult between Gray and her. She had never fallen in love so much as with him and just wouldn't let him go. Because she knew he wasn't so cold. Before he knew what her family circumstances were like, they had even been on a date. He had been incredibly friendly and courteous towards her. However, she had made the mistake of introducing herself to his parents with her real name. Of course, his father had immediately known who he had in front of him and had complimented Juvia out. The next day at school, Gray had ignored her and when she asked, he had made it clear to her that he wanted nothing more to do with her. With a criminal. She had assured him that she was not a criminal and that her family was not as bad as they seemed. The whole thing was 4 years ago now and she was still circling him. She hadn't really paid much attention to the way, knew it by heart and waited until the bus, which would take her to her university, arrived.

She got on the bus, showed her ticket and sat down on a window seat, looked out dreamily without really seeing anything. Her thoughts were totally fixed on Gray. Her Gray-sama, as she liked to call him. Her heart was beating hectically with excitement. Would he accept the cookies this time? She chewed indecisively on her lower lip. The cheerful murmur of the other passengers only came to her ear as a hiss. The thought of Gray distracted her too much.

Only when the bus stopped in front of her university did she blink slightly, rose and followed the others out. Nervousness clawed into her stomach and fear clasped her racing heart, making her restless. Her gaze glided around, searching as she continued to chew on her lower lip. The university grounds were of normal size. Nothing overly pompous. A building, a sports field, as well as a gymnasium and a normal-sized courtyard, where you could spend your free time. She walked with insecure steps towards the building, which had been built in the modern architectural style, and the gaze of her deep blue soul mirror gliding around, found the wild, black hair shimmering velvety in the daylight. Juvia pulled her shoulders up and walked exactly in this direction, swallowing slightly as her heart began to race. Her stomach contracted painfully. She had got up a good three hours earlier to bake these cookies, as she had let the mixture steep for an hour.

He was in a group of friends, including his brother Lyon and his girlfriend Meredy. Among them were Yukino, Sorano and Ultear. She wasn't very good friends with the others and swallowed slightly as she approached. She knew no one hated her, but you couldn't say they even really liked her. Her eyes lay on Gray. He was wearing a black Jean, Sneackers, a black shirt, a leather jacket and a bag over his shoulder. Her hands clasped the straps of her bag and her knuckles stood out white. She began to tremble slightly, but still put a smile on her lips as she approached the group.

"G ... Good morning, Gray-sama," she said with a soft voice and the quiet conversations in the group itself fell silent. Glances stared at her and she felt her cheeks getting hot. His dark gaze lay on her and she swallowed briefly, then dragged out the narrow box hastily and looked up at him with an unsteady smile.

"Gray-sama ... Juvia has ... "

"I don't need it. Leave me alone," he growled and pain twitched through her heart. Her hands began to tremble and her throat tightened. She felt the treacherous burning in her eyes. He didn't even let her finish. The smile on her lips began to waver, but she swallowed the pain and tears, stepped one step closer and then continued to hold the box to him.

"Please... Juvia baked the cookies, Gray-sama," she said and looked at him with big eyes. He sighed annoyed and twisted his eyes, driving himself irritated through his hair. Lyon grinned. The others seemed a little embarrassed. They knew Juvia and nobody could really handle her. None of the girls understood how Juvia could still run after him. Lyon gave him a slight elbow stab in the rib.

"Go on, accept it," he said quietly and Gray growled reluctantly, then he accepted the box and looked at Juvia with a cold look. A glow stepped into her eyes and the cold in his eyes became stronger. He opened the can and looked down at the homemade cookies, saw the fine patterns she had made with colorful icing. In the colours he liked. He looked at the sweets and then he looked at her face, saw the look of love in her eyes. His lips turned to a scornful smile and he stepped towards her, getting closer and closer and pushing her. Juvia stumbled back, bent slightly and fell on her ass. Shocked, she looked up at Gray, who looked down at her with disgust and contempt. He pulled a bottle of water out of his pocket, dumped the water into the box, closed it to shake it and then dumped the contents of water, sugar and biscuits over her. Juvia stared at him with big eyes wide open. Horrified whispers penetrated her ears and she began to tremble. Gray snorted.

"Now pay attention, yakuza bitch. I don't want anything to do with a criminal creature like you, is that clear? You are nothing, scum of society. I don't have time for someone like you. Besides ... ", his lips turned to a scornful grin, "... I already have a fiancée. So finally leave me alone."

His words gave her one blow after the other and she couldn't breathe, was as if frozen. It was as if her heart had stopped beating, as if time had stopped. All the noises turned into a hiss and everything around her lost its color, became bleak and gray.

Gray turned around and just let her sit on the floor. His heart hurt and he rubbed his chest unconsciously as he returned to his shocked friends.

"Let's go, then," he said cool as ever.

"Gray, what was that all about?"

"What was what," he asked and watched Meredy wait and see. She blinked and pulled her narrow pink eyebrows together, then pointed at Juvia. She was still sitting on the stone floor as if frozen.

"I showed her that I no longer wanted her near me. What's wrong with showing scum what he is," he asked and felt his heart contract painfully. Meredy pressed her lips together and Lyon growled angrily at him.

"Dude, do you hear yourself talking? Just because her parents are yakuza doesn't mean she can't get out," Lyon replied and slung an arm tightly around his girlfriend. The girlfriend looked at Gray angrily. Her body trembled slightly and Gray knew why. Meredy's parents had been subordinates of a local clan in the USA and had paid for their resignation with their lives. Only her big sister and little sister had survived.

"Well ... but she is still with her scum family. No matter how much she supposedly loves me. That doesn't change anything. Besides, our parents were very clear back then, Lyon," Gray said and snorted slightly. Then he turned away and marched towards the building. It hurt to be like that to her, but it was right. He had learned to hate her, had locked his love for Juvia deep away. Because she would never change. She would always remain the daughter of a yakuza.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. And we're up to the next chapter. I hope you like it, let me know what you think. Still unchecked.
> 
> Greets Z

**Chapter 9**

Natsu sighed and drove through his salom hair and stepped out of his room, closing the door behind him. Juvia had finally stopped crying. He had comforted her all night long. Since she had been home again, she had been crying like a castle dog and mentally he broke Gray's neck. How could this scumbag dare to deal with his sister like that? Juvia was a friendly and loving person. She wasn't the vicious monster Gray wanted to see, because she was kept out of the family business like Wendy.

But that this stupid stripper actually dared to dump the handmade cookies over her, that he dared to make her down, to humiliate her. The urge to go out and make real shit was strong, almost overwhelming. But he wasn't allowed to go out and kill him. On the one side Juvia would never forgive him and on the other side Lucy was still there. His Luce, who was pregnant from him. She had told him that she had a check. Today to be exact and he wanted to be there.

He yawned, stretched slightly and made his way to the kitchen. He needed a cup of coffee now. Otherwise he would probably fall asleep in the practice in front of Porlyusica and that was definitely not the intention. Because even if they were related, the old woman would not hesitate to pull the fur over his ears if she felt that he was disrespectful to Lucy. In the kitchen he met Weißlogia and Acnologia.

"Ah, Ouji-sama, I wish you a good morning," said Acnologia and stirred in the pan. He was standing at the stove, making breakfast, and according to the smell it was scrambled eggs. Natsu's stomach rumbled loudly and clearly and briefly there was silence. Weißlogia drank a sip of coffee, said nothing about it. Natsu felt redness on his cheeks and cleared his throat softly.

" Morning," he replied and rubbed his neck. Then he walked over to the cupboard to take a cup.

"How's Juvia-sama?"

"She's finally asleep."

"And Lucy-sama?"

"She's still here, but she took care that I helped Juvia through the night," Natsu replied and took a cup out of the closet.

"Shall we skin Gray?"

"Or fillet him?"

"Uh... no, don't."

"We can also cut him very slowly into slices."

"How about we cut him everywhere, give him adrenaline, pour salt water over his body, and then let some goats loose on him?"

Natsu saw from the cooking Acnologia to the coffee drinking Weißlogia. He sighed and stepped to the coffee machine. He urgently needed caffeine. Right now!

"I still think we should skin him."

"And where do you want to put the skin?

"We'll send them to his parents."

"Yes, of course, so that they can get on us too, right?"

" Guys ... ", Natsu began and felt as it began to thump behind his forehead. He had absolutely no nerve for these quarrels. Not early in the morning and certainly not without a cup of coffee.

"We ..."

"Shut up both of you," Natsu cried and took a sip of the hot, black liquid, leaned against the sideboard and closed his eyes. The bitter drink flowed pleasantly hot down his throat and he sighed softly.

"Ah ... caffeine," he whispered and smiled enjoying. Both men looked at him wordlessly, but before one of them could say anything, a lively Lucy stepped into the kitchen. His heartbeat speeded up.

"Good morning", she lit up all three men and Natsu pulled his brows together. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see her. It was rather that he was a morning grouch and she was just in a disgustingly good mood.

"Why are you already in such a good mood? It's early in the morning," he grumbled, pulling his eyebrows together slightly. Lucy beamed at him broadly, came closer and wrapped her arms around his belly. Natsu grinned, feeling redness on his cheeks. She looked up at him.

"But there's an ultrasound examination today," she said, and the chocolate brown of her eyes glowed. His lips automatically turned to a grin and he wrapped an arm around her.

"Let me finish the coffee first, then we can go, okay?"

"Okay," she said, standing on her toes. Natsu bent down to her, buried a hand in her soft blonde hair and kissed her timidly, almost shyly. His heartbeat raced and his whole body seemed to tingle.

Buzzing, Lucy sat next to him, obviously excited. Natsu tried to stay absolutely calm. If he freaked out now, it wouldn't do them any good. Hysteria was absolutely out of place and yet he felt a deep fear in his bones. Yes, Natsu Dragneel was afraid. He was scared shitless because he became a father.

_Can I even be a good father?_ he thought and his gaze wandered through the waiting room. Pregnant women and not pregnant women sat around and some looked at him either curiously or with obvious disgust. Lucy was sitting next to him, holding his hand, and that was probably something that was indicator enough that he had knocked her up even though you couldn't see anything yet. But why else would he sit next to his girlfriend as a guy and hold her hand? Especially when she stroked her lower abdomen next to him again and again. But it was still flat.

_They look at me as if they wanted to kill me ... damn it ... if they cut me in four if I say something wrong or get up or something like that_, he asked himself and swallowed slightly, pulled the brows together. He breathed deeply and loosened his shoulders a little. They had put on extra normal clothes. It would be even worse if they sat here in school uniform. Natsu was sure he would have been beheaded if he had come through that door. He had absolutely no desire to, if he was honest. He scratched the back of his head and pulled his lips, but said nothing else.

"Miss Lucy Heartfilia and Mister Natsu Dragneel please, consulting room 4," the nurse called them both up and as Lucy jumped up and pulled him with her, he felt the mourning, accusing looks of all the women in the room. As if he had raped Lucy or something. But he didn't say anything, just followed his girl in the right direction. He had never been here before and somehow it was strange. But well, he was a guy, what was he doing at the gynaecologist?

They followed a bright hallway to the treatment room. Lucy knocked and a voice asked her to come in. His heartbeat raced and beads of sweat gathered on his forehead. His hands became sweaty with nervousness. But even when she noticed it, Lucy simply dragged him on mercilessly. And the fear in him grew. His heartbeat speeded up. He had hardly had to take any responsibility for anything so far. Sure, he would protect Lucy with his life if it mattered. But there were twins he would raise with her. For whom he was responsible. For whom he had to be a father, a role model!

"Ah, Lucy and the stupid brat", the growling voice of Porlyusica welcomed him and he stared at the elderly lady. He forced himself to a broad grin, but still stood stiff as a stick in the room. Lucy blinked slightly, looking at Natsu waiting.

"Natsu?"

"Uh... "

"Would you please close the door behind you, boy?" The voice of his relatives reached his ears and pulled him out of his rigor. Hastily he closed the door behind him and rubbed his neck nervously. Lucy frowned.

"Well then, Lucy. We're doing an ultrasound," Porlyusica said, and Natsus's eyes grew a little bigger as Lucy obediently nodded. She then followed her doctor behind the room divider.

"Don't you want to watch?" asked his great-aunt 4th grade there and he swallowed lightly. His body started to move. His heartbeat was booming in his ears and all the sounds seemed to be blurred as he slid beside Lucy. She was sitting in a strange chair he had never seen before and had already pushed the soft sweater up under her lush chest and also pushed the waistband of the black leggings down so that her stomach and abdomen were exposed. She beamed at him and stretched out a hand towards him.

Natsu followed the wordless invitation, grabbed her hand and clung to it. Lucy giggled and smiled at him. Porlyusica just snorted at his behavior, applied gel and turned on the ultrasound. She began to circle over Lucy's abdomen with a device. Natsu stared at the black and white screen with his eyes wide open. That would be the first time he would see his children. Sweat beads dripped from his temples. His children. His heartbeat speeded up further and he felt his whole body begin to tremble.

He had never been afraid of anything before. Well, his mother was frightening as shit, but he knew she would never do anything serious to him. She loved him too much for that. No matter how often she cursed and threatened murder, torture and pain. And then he saw the slowly forming fetuses. His eyes widened more. He heard nothing, perceived absolutely nothing. His heart stopped, his breath stopped. Those were his children there. His twins. Warm humidity ran over his cheeks and then he felt Lucy pull his hand. Slowly, as if in a trance, he lowered his gaze to her and she shone at him, grinning broadly.

"Natsu ... we become parents", she laughed quietly and he blinked. His knees became soft and he took a hasty breath, bent over Lucy and kissed her stormy, pulling her into his arms. His heart raced, butterflies threw a party in his stomach. They became parents. His Luce would give him two children.

"Well, there seems to be absolutely nothing wrong with these two. We'll see each other again in a month. I'll print you the picture."

He only noticed the voice of his great-aunt on the edge, broke away from Lucy, who stroked his cheeks.

"You don't have to cry because of it", her words were quiet and Natsu blinked confused. He ... cried? Confused he stroked over his cheeks and stared at the tears on his fingers. A quiet laugh dissolved in him and he pulled Lucy again into a firm embrace, burying the face in her hair. His heart raced, beating painfully fast against his ribs and he felt as if he could move mountains.

"I love you, Luce. I love you so much", he whispered. She laughed quietly, stroking his hair. He stroked his lips across her throat, kissed her soft, fragrant skin and elicited a beautiful sigh from her. He detached himself a little from her, bent over her and kissed her again, buried his fingers in her blond, velvety hair.

"Did you know this is a treatment room," Porlyusica's stern voice tore them apart. Redness burned on his cheeks and he swallowed slightly, but grinned his typical grin.

"Sorry, aunt," he said, laughing slightly nervously. She snorted, twisted her eyes and handed Lucy a wet cloth to wipe the gel off. Natsu felt his whole body tingling and his heart racing. It was a strange feeling and he swallowed. He couldn't explain why he felt like that. Darkly he remembered that he had felt that way when he met Lucy and redness spread to his cheeks.

"Luce ...", he began and she looked at him waiting.

"Yes?

"Somehow ... I feel funny," he confessed, as she got off the examination chair, straightening her clothes. She pulled her brows together, looked at him waiting.

"In what way?"

"Somehow ... my heart doesn't want to calm down and ... it's tingling everywhere," he confessed and his aunt's laughter reached his ears. The redness on his cheeks became deeper. Heat burned on his cheeks.

"Why are you laughing?"

"You are in love you idiot. But don't worry, I guess you've fallen in love with your children. Happens more often here," Porlyusica said and shrugged her shoulders. Natsu raised his eyebrows. So ... had he always loved Lucy? Was she serious? Lucy giggled and he felt her putting her hand on his cheek, turning his gaze towards her. Her chocolate brown eyes glowed, amber colors shimmered with love.

"Come, let's go home, my darling," she said and he nodded without a word. His heartbeat quickened again and he felt as if he could embrace the whole world. He became a father! Suddenly the whole thing didn't seem so frightening anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys. So here we are with Chapter 10.
> 
> At the request of my german readers, I mix this chapter with two of the four pairings. Actually, I was planning to add Miraxus as well, but the two didn't want to do like I wanted. AND after this chapter I will make a time jump with you ;) Let's see what you think about this.
> 
> Greets Z

**Chapter 10**

She was incredibly sad. Her heart hurt only at the thought of him, of his behaviour towards her. But she simply couldn't change it. And she did not want to change her behaviour. She loved him, and she couldn't and wouldn't change that. Even if it killed her. Because she knew that he could not hate her. Before it came out how her family relations were, he had liked her, even presumably loved her. He had introduced her to his family. And if his father hadn' t told him that she was the daughter of an Oyabun, they would probably still be a couple. Gray had been so angry four years ago. And he had thrown a lot of insults at her head. But only if she really dared to approach him. Otherwise he had always ignored her, punished her with icy cold.

Juvia straightened up. Tiredness hung in her limbs and she lowered her gaze, looking out the window. Outside it was cloudy, rainy. Matching her mood. Everything seemed so much bleaker since he had told her about a month ago that he had a fiancée. She felt so lifeless, impassive. These words had destroyed so much in her, had ruined her. Another tear ran down her sore skin. She didn't even have to look in the mirror to know what she looked like. She knew that too. Her skin would be red from all the crying and irritation from the tears, her eyes swollen and bloated, stuck with tears. Her skin pale and sickly. She seemed ill and for a good month she had barely made it out of bed two days in a row. Juvia felt headaches throbbing behind her forehead and her throat laced up. Her heart was aching, burning and her body began to tremble.

A muffled knock on her door made her flinch violently, but still her gaze hung on the flowers on her windowsill. Back then, about 5 years ago, Gray had given her a flower for her birthday and she had cared for it all the time. The blue blossoms of the gentian never seemed to want to wither properly and never let themselves be withered. At that time it had only been a single flower. For five years a whole flower box had been growing cheerfully. Juvia bent slightly forward and inhaled the scent of the flowers and a sad smile plucked on her lips.

"Juvia-sama?", Acnologia's voice muffled through the door and sighed softly. Should she answer him? She didn't know. However, she also knew exactly how he would react if he saw her. The otherwise quite polite and mostly emotionless, good house spirit of the family would be angry. He would be furious and she wanted to avoid that. Nevertheless, she slowly rose. The soft fabric of the knee-length nightgown gently played around her skin and the white fabric almost adapted to her pale skin. She slowly opened the door and looked up at the servant of her family, blinking slightly. For a moment he stared at her and she saw the rage flashing in his dark eyes as he took a closer look at her appearance. Then he sighed softly.

"Ojou-sama," he said and sadness resonated in his voice as she looked at him wordlessly and waited. She knew what he was thinking, even without him saying it. She knew what everyone was thinking. Her clan thought she should finally forget Gray. That he was not worthy of her love at all. But she didn't think so and she just couldn't let him go.

"Breakfast is ready, do you want to take it with the others at the table, or in your room?", surprise briefly drove through her body as he did not address the subject, as usual, but simply continued. But she didn't go into it. That wasn't necessary in itself. She lowered her eyes slightly and shrugged her shoulders. She had not spoken for almost a month. Did she want to eat with the others? Did she want to eat at all? Dullness lay over her senses and she blinked slightly, then she braced back to her bed, crawled silently back under the blanket and buried herself in the warmth of the soft fabric. Tiredness spread throughout her body and dragged her down into a deaf, bleak sleep.

" Morning," he growled and dropped his bag on the bench next to Ultear. She looked up from the book in her hands and smiled coolly at him. Just like always. His cousin wasn't exactly the warmest person, so this reaction didn't really surprise him. Restlessness filled his senses and aggression surged in him. But he couldn't really put the whole thing together, didn't know why he had been permanently irritated for almost a month.

"Wow, still such a sunshine, mhm?" she asked and sarcasm seemed to drip from her words. Gray snorted and clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw crunched. Icy rage crept up in him and he didn't even really know why. He hadn't been at peace with himself the whole time, had lost his balance. His inner peace and that worms him animalistically. But he also didn't know why and he didn't want to make a fool of anyone or get into a constant argument. Or in fights, but that was exactly the case. Gray let himself fall next to his cousin and drove with his hands irritated through his hair.

"Again so extremely aggro", his brother Lyon's voice penetrated his ears and he raised his gaze to him. A dark growl rolled up his throat. He knew what Lyon was alluding to, but he refused to believe it. It couldn't be Juvia's absence. Since he treated her so coldly, since he had rejected her, he hadn't been so aggressive after all. Cool yes and he admitted that for the last four years he had laughed less than before. It couldn't be because he had told that lie. Nor was it because Juvia hadn't come to university for a month, had it? He pulled his eyebrows so tightly that they were a single stroke. Thinking of their shattered facial expression, his heart contracted painfully for a moment. But the fact was: she was the daughter of criminals. Of scum. His father had said at the time that such a person was not tolerated in his house. He was a policeman and as such avoided scum like the Dragneels. He let his head hang, rubbed his neck and stared at the patterns of the stone slabs.

"Yes, but he won't believe us that this is connected with his nonsensical dislike of someone very special," Ultear said, shrugging her shoulders. She herself didn't mind in the least spending her time with the social scum. Ultear did her thing and sometimes Gray envied her for it. His aunt Ul's daughter wouldn't let herself be pushed around, not even by her own mother. Even though sometimes he didn't quite understand what she found in such criminal scum. On the one hand, he still loved Juvia. That had never changed over that long time. But Gray didn't want to disgrace his family either. Whereby his father had nothing against Meredy, Lyons girlfriend. Sometimes he just didn't understand his father's reasons.

"He just doesn't want to admit it. I know that he even has a secret picture folder of Juvia on his computer and on his cell phone," Lyon said, and Gray literally froze. His heartbeat speeded up and slowly he raised his gaze, staring angrily at his brother. How did he get his data? Apart from that ... why did he tell it around, please? He felt the strong urge to smash the white-haired man's face in. His muscles tightened, but Lyon simply didn't pay him any attention, otherwise he would have noticed that he was staring at him as if he wanted to kill him. His heartbeat quickened more, rage made his blood boil, and the urge to beat Lyon grew stronger with every second. Gray's hands clenched to fists, he grabbed his bag and rose jerkily.

"I'm not in the mood for your bullshit, I'm going home," he rumbled and marched off with stiff steps. He didn't want to harm his family. Why was he so angry?

Levy sighed as she stared at her cell phone. Juvia's behavior was to tussle hair. Not only was she currently the Dragneel clan's problem child, Lucy also worried and she worried herself. Juvia and Gajeel were friends and each of them watched with growing concern as she sank deeper and deeper into this depression. She barely ate properly, rarely came out of bed for several days in a row, let alone out of her room, and she basically cried all the time. Apart from the fact that she hadn't said a word the whole time. That worried everyone and the only thing that kept the Dragneel clan men from filleting Gray was Juvia's heart that would break even more. She turned to her side and sighed deeply. It was Monday afternoon and she wondered how to make Juvia a little happier again. It was already summer and she had opened the balcony door so some wind could blow through the apartment. The soft ringing of the wind chime that Gajeel had hung up was almost meditative and she closed her eyes for a moment, the smartphone in her hand on her forehead. Maybe they should have a picnic?

For Lucy that would be quite good again. She was mothered by everyone all the time and Levy knew she felt like a glass doll. Because that's how she was treated. Like a raw egg on a battlefield. Levy knew that her best friend was working very hard. She was now in her 13th week of pregnancy and in the meantime you could already see a light belly that wasn't there otherwise. The school did not necessarily react to pregnancies. Makarov was a very tolerant headmaster. However, Levy had encouraged Natsu and Lucy to talk to him on their own. In the end Lucy was allowed to finish the school, but he had taken Natsu to prayer for a long time. Then her cell phone vibrated again and she lifted herself up, stood up and went over to the fridge, took out some cooled Sencha and sat down on the sofa again. She opened Line and scrolled to the end of the group chat, frowning.

**Lucy, 14:45:** We clearly have to distract her.

**Gajeel, 14:50:** Yes, we all know that, Bunnygirl.

**Lucy, 14:50:** DO NOT CALL ME BUNNYGIRL!

**Gajeel, 14:52:** Stop crying.

**Natsu, 1452:** Metal face, if you call Lucy that again, I'll sink you in Tokyo Bay!

**Gajeel, 14:53:** Of course. Calm down again, Salamander.

**Lucy, 14:53:** Naaaatssuuuuuu *sniff* Cuddling

**Natsu, 14:53:** Wait a minute, I'll be right there. Give me a second, okay? Won't be long.

**Gajeel, 14:55:** HAHAHA, you are such a slipper hero.

Levy sighed and snorted slightly. Then she started typing. It couldn't be that they couldn't all get it together to calm Juvia down and bring her to other thoughts.

**Levy, 14:57:** Guys ... let's please concentrate on the actual topic again. Juvia suffers under Gray and I don't want a friend to break down like she does. Accordingly, I suggest a picnic. This is good for her, then she comes out and Lucy also comes with her. You don't have any right to have a say, Natsu.

**Natsu, 14:57:** Please what?

**Lucy, 14:58:** That's a wonderful idea, Levy!

**Natsu, 14:59:** Honey! I'll be right there, let's discuss it!

**Lucy, 14:59:** There's nothing to discuss, I'm not a raw egg. I'm just pregnant!

**Natsu, 15:00:** With ma twins!

**Lucy, 15:01:** The one I carry, not you. By the way, where are you?

**Gajeel, 15:01:** As imma say, yer full under the slipper

**Natsu, 15:02:** Shut up, metal face!

**Lucy, 15:03:** NATSU DRAGNEEL! IF YOU'RE NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMETHING!

**Natsu, 15:04:** Almost there, darling. Only a few steps left! Wait, Luuuuceeeee

Levy sighed and shook her head. She laid her head slightly on her neck. Her friends were sometimes really exhausting, but she loved them all. Despite their strange quirks. The bluenette girl rose from the couch with another sigh, went straight into her bedroom and dug out a big cooler bag and a blanket carrier bag from her closet. Then she went into the kitchen and picked out ingredients.

Soft sunlight fell through the dense canopy of leaves, the tree under which the small group had settled. The chirping sound of cicadas filled the hot summer air. Everyone seemed to be looser than usual. Only Juvia was sitting in a simple blue dress that reached down to her knees, not saying a word, not even pulling a face. Levy had the impression that Natsu had forced her to come along. And she wouldn't be surprised. Juvia's otherwise soft, shimmering blue curls seemed dull and lackluster, and her deep blue eyes also had a cool emptiness in them. She would never admit it, but Levy was afraid for Juvia. Could she ever make it out of this depression?

She knew what words could do. Her own father had always kept her small until she met Gajeel. Restlessness surged and sorrow surfaced. Had Juvia eaten anything at all? She had not yet touched the sandwich Levy had given her.

"Juvia?," she asked carefully and looked at her waiting. Her heartbeat accelerated as the other bluenette one slowly turned her gaze, looking at her with that empty gaze. Levy smiled uncertainly.

"I hope you like it," she asked and knew perfectly well that Juvia couldn't really answer that question. After all, she hadn't taken a bite yet. For a moment her eyes wandered over to Lucy and Natsu sitting on the other side of the cloak. Natsu had drawn his girlfriend to him. She sat leaning against him on a soft cushion between his legs while he held her plate and fed her all the time. Something the blonde kept complaining about. And Levy knew that was simply because her best friend felt like she was being fattened. Because not only Natsu fed her constantly. Everyone stuffed food into Lucy's mouth all the time. And even now Lucy had to force Natsu not to put something in her mouth all the time so that she wouldn't fall off his meat. Levy turned her attention from the quietly squabbling couple back to Juvia. She stared at the paper plate on her lap. Then she looked back at Levy and nodded. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, the beginning of a smile. Levy's heart made a jump. That alone was a rare reaction from her. And yet Levy was careful, she didn't want to frighten Juvia, didn't want her to retreat back into her cold, impenetrable shell of sadness and silence.

Because even if it was only the twitching of her mouth corners, it was a fact that it had been the hint of a smile. And that was progress in the right direction, as the bluenette found. Juvia slowly took a tiny bite, and for a few seconds Levy saw the touch of a glimmer in her blue eyes. Since Gray's harsh words, they seemed empty and desolate, like two endlessly deep tunnels of blue. But now a tiny spark of life had shimmered in them. Levy's heartbeat accelerated and she beamed at Juvia as she continued to eat. The others didn't hide it either, but nobody said anything. They secretly kept an eye on Juvia for fear that she would stop immediately when she realized she was being watched. A warm summer breeze came up and plucked her blue hair. She immediately seemed more alive. Then Juvia handed Levy her paper plate and Levy looked at her questioningly. The breath of an invitation was in her eyes and Levy's eyes widened.

"W-would you like some more?" she asked cautiously and to the delight of the others, Juvia nodded after a short hesitation. Levy beamed at her friend and immediately nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course, Juvs. Another sandwich or some sushi?" she looked at her waiting and Juvia pointed at the sandwiches with a lowered gaze and shimmering pink cheeks. Levy immediately put two on her plate and handed it back to her. Then Gajeel leaned forward. He had leaned against the tree all the time behind Levy.

"You see, it's slowly getting better again, Shrimp", he hummed softly into her ear and Levy nodded slightly. Juvia ate little and only in small bites, but slowly a touch of colour seemed to come into her pale cheeks again. And that made her incredibly happy.

"See you tomorrow", Levy beamed a big smile at the others. Gajeel looked as grim as ever while carrying the cooler and the carrier bag with the second blanket. Lucy smiled while Natsu had an arm wrapped around her waist. Juvia stood next to the two, but said nothing. She indicated a slight bow.

"Yes, see you tomorrow, Levy. Come home well and write if you're home okay," concern shimmered in Lucy's chocolate brown eyes and Levy nodded, grinned broadly.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to us," she replied. Then they got on their socks and left the Dragneels' property. The air was a bit humid, it was still hot and the chirping of the cicadas filled the evening air. Music came muffled from some houses and in the distance you could hear the sounds of trains and cars.

"Do you think she can do it," Levy asked and worry lay in her features, her posture and her voice. Gajeel sighed deeply. Slowly it annoyed him. He knew that Juvia felt like shit, but he knew that she was stronger than that and got back on her feet. Of course it would take time to get over Gray, but she would make it. He knew that.

"Will be, believe me. She'll be fine," he returned and Levy looked up at him as he gave her a smirking grin. Redness spread in her cheeks and she giggled, then she nodded approvingly.

"Yes, I think so, too. And she still has her family," she agreed. Then Gajeel pushed himself in her way, bent down to her and kissed her. She leaned towards him, returned the kiss and heat crept through her body. His scent rose into her nose, filled her senses and both slowly separated again.

"And you have my old man and me, don't forget that," he said and his voice was deeper. The smile on her lips widened and she kissed him again as a consenting hum left her lips.

Juvia knew everyone was worried. And she understood it too. But she still needed some distance. It just couldn't be any other way. She couldn't pretend that she didn't care any more. That didn't work like that. She simply loved Gray too much for that. Natsu and Lucy had already gone inside and she pulled the brows together as she walked through the long corridors. The dark wood and the paneled walls were as always well maintained, shimmering softly in the light of the lamps. She stepped into the entrance area and to the telephone desk, writing down a short note that she was taking a little walk to clear her head. Then she slipped into her wedge heel sandals and left the property. Both Acnologia and his foster son Zeref would notice that she had left a message. Probably the latter rather than Acnologia, because she knew that Zeref was always keeping an eye on her. If she ever left the house. She followed the narrow side streets, listening to the chirping of crickets and cicadas, the muffled music, the laughter of families. Like a hushed shadow she walked almost silently through the poorly lit streets. But she had absolutely no fear. No one here would hurt her. They all knew her too well as a daughter of the Dragneel clan. Even though she had been adopted all these years ago.

She didn't have her phone with her, but she wouldn't have really paid attention to the time and so she just kept wandering around. She stepped into the light of a lantern and her gaze glided over the entrance of a smaller park. She didn't know how long she had been walking around, but she was less familiar with the area. Her gaze glided over a wide square. Moths danced in the lantern light and then grunting noises, dull moaning and the sounds of blows penetrated her ears. Confusion gripped her senses. She knew these kinds of noises and knew there was a fight going on.

A touch of curiosity surged inside her and her heartbeat accelerated slightly. The sand crunched quietly under her soles as she walked further into the park. She saw a modern toilet house, saw park benches and then she saw darkly dressed figures fighting each other.

Her eyes widened as she recognized who was messing with a group of thugs. Her heartbeat speeded up and fear painfully hit the claws in her stomach. She saw him skilfully dodging, handing out and seldom taking a blow. Time on Fairy Tail had made him harder.

She swallowed, felt a thick lump in her throat and again tears came to her eyes. Deep dark anger paired with an intense, concentrated look lay on his face. Blood was stuck on his right cheek because of a laceration and his lip was chapped. She saw in the dim light of the lanterns the blood on his hands, saw his injured ankles. Her heartbeat accelerated as he took a kick in the side. She heard the deep, painful grunt and her vision blurred. Her heart felt like it was made of shattered glass. She could barely breathe so much it hurt.

_I shouldn't be here_, she thought, swallowed and wanted to turn away when she saw something flashing. Her eyes widened and her body reacted all by itself. She sprinted to the beating adults and threw herself before Gray's unprotected back. The smacking sound of flesh and blood filled the air and pain roared in her body. Her vision blurred and as the attacker pulled out the knife she growled and struck. An animalistic screech came loose from her lips as she moved on to attack. Her instincts ordered her to protect him, defend him and eliminate any enemy who stood in her way. Roaring, hot rage roared through her body, burning with adrenaline through her veins. She jumped on the stranger and beat him up. Then she turned away from the unconscious one and turned to the next enemy. Even as she stood up and turned around, her vision blurred for a few seconds and Gray's horrified cry reached her ears. Everything began to spin and she blinked slightly.

Someone grabbed her by her upper arms and as she felt pain and warm wetness, she blinked violently, looking down. Blood colored the long blue dress continuously red and slowly she felt the pain through the adrenaline. Gray held her upright on her arms and for a moment stared only at the wound on her stomach. Then she slumped down.

Gray whirled around, one of those stupid idiots in the mangle, saw blue hair, a long blue dress. His eyes widened and he simply beat the guy unconscious, dropped him. The others started the retreat and he didn't quite know why, perceived it only marginally. He saw her go at one of the guys angrily like a fury, beating him into unconsciousness. His heartbeat speeded up and as she swirled around looking for her next opponent, his eyes widened in shock. Not because of her murderous facial expression, but because his gaze was magically drawn to the ever-increasing bloodstain.

"JUVIA", her name left his lips without him being able to prevent it and he passed the few meters. He saw her wobble slightly and grabbed her by the arms, holding her as she realized she had a wound. His heart pounded painfully loudly against his ribs and icy anxiety surged inside him as she collapsed. She had acted in adrenaline.

"No ... Ju ... oh fuck," he cursed, bringing out only vague words while his thoughts rested. Where was the nearest hospital? He went down on his knees slightly, shoved one hand under her knees and lifted her up skilfully. She weighed almost nothing. He swallowed and his panicked gaze flew across the side streets that bordered the park entrance. He didn't have a mobile phone with him and didn't take any money either. So he couldn't call a taxi, let alone call an ambulance. Gray gritted his teeth firmly together, tightened his grip around Juvias narrow figure and set himself in motion. He had been an asshole, he knew that, but he wouldn't let her die like that. And with this thought, he started running.

His body hurt, sweat stuck to his skin, his breathing was panting and although Juvia clearly weighed too little, it seemed to him that she was getting heavier with every step. Sweat was burning in his eyes as he came half jogging half stumbling through the automatic sliding doors of the hospital. He looked around hectically. His clothes were soaked with her blood and the panic crushed him. The roar of his heart drowned out the bustle of some nurses and a few doctors and other patients in the entrance area. But even if he had noticed these other people, he would not have really paid attention to them.

"HELP! FAST! SHE NEEDS A DOCTOR NOW," he roared like a madman. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. He felt the eyes of the strangers on him, felt the immediate silence, but his behavior and appearance, desperate, sweaty and bloody, set some of the nurses in motion immediately. A few seconds later, two emergency doctors came running up with a couch and helped him to gently place Juvia on it. He was pushed aside while Juvia was taken away and a doctor examined him, asked him questions, but he didn't listened to any of them. His gaze was fixed on the door behind which the doctors and nurses with Juvia had disappeared. Everything around him turned slightly, but he ignored the swindle. Dull, he heard someone talking to him, but his gaze was fixed on the door. Then a violent pain struck his cheek and his head flew to the side. He stared with big eyes at a doctor.

"I'm sorry, but you were too fixed and barely responsive. What is your name, how do you feel?", the doctor was smaller than him, but scrutinized him with a firm gaze, examining and conscientious. He blinked violently and swallowed, felt the burning in his throat.

"I ... Gray Fullbuster," he then said, "my name is Gray Fullbuster."

"Mr. Fullbuster, please sit down."

"No," he shook his head slightly and swayed slightly, but looked back at the door.

"It wasn't a request," the sound in her voice pulled his eyes back on her, and Gray saw the slender doctor's hard, stern gaze in front of him and swallowing lightly. Cold shivers crept up his back and he let her push him to a seating group. He examined her a little more closely. She had cyan hair, deep blue eyes and her skin was quite pale. The wide white gown and the sky blue doctor's clothes did not hide her female figure, though. His eyes briefly scurried to the name tag on her clothes. _Dr. Aquarius Star_. Then his eyes turned back to hers.

"So ... ", she began and pulled out a pen, made a note, " You' re Gray Fullbuster. Age?

"19," he said and rubbed his chest. He felt an unpleasant pulling in his heart and knew it was because Juvia was hurt. It was all his fault. His lips pressed into a tight line.

"And the young woman you brought us?"

"Juv-Juvia Dragneel, 18 years old," he said and his voice seemed shakier than it should. His hands clenched into fists and his gaze fell on the linoleum floor.

"Mhm ...," she grumbled and when he raised his gaze, he saw her eagerly writing down what he said.

"You wouldn't happen to know the phone number of her family?"

"I-I ...," he began and swallowed. Dr. Star looked at him with a waiting, cool look. Gray drove his trembling fingers through his hair, spreading some slowly dried blood on his face. He felt the exhaustion in his bones.

"I do ..." he said and did not dare to look at her. His gaze fell on his shoes and he gave her the number and address of Juvia's family. They would kill him. He somehow hoped so. He didn't deserve anything else. Feelings of guilt literally crushed him and pain pervaded his heart with every beat that it did. He was to blame for this accident. The doctor said she would send him a nurse to treat his wounds, but he didn't hear it. Then she rose to inform the family. She already felt sorry for Gray because she had also asked how it had happened and he had said it was his fault. She didn't necessarily believe that, but she recognized feelings of guilt when she saw them and he seemed to be literally crushed by his. Still, she clearly had more important things to do than look after a young adult. Sighing, she leaned against the reception desk and grabbed the phone without even looking at the sister in charge. Her eyebrows shrunk slightly as she typed in the number. It only rang twice when her call was answered.

_"Dragneel."_

"Good evening, this is Dr Star from Komazawa Hospital. Does a Juvia Dragneel live with you?" she asked, and there was a moment of silence.

_"BOSS!"_, Aquarius held the phone a bit away from her ear as the stranger who had taken the call yelled for someone. And then it wasn't long before she heard the rustle of cloth at the other end and someone called again. Apparently the stranger had passed on the phone.

_"Yes?"_

"Good evening, this is Dr. Star from Komazawa Hospital. Does a Juvia Dragneel live with you?" she asked again and felt impatience rising inside her. She wasn't exactly the most patient person.

_"Yes, she is my daughter."_

"Ah, all right. I'm sorry to have to tell you, but she was brought in a few minutes ago. My colleagues have already started treatment. When can-"

_"We're coming,"_ Mr. Dragneel interrupted her with a deep growl and hung up. The only thing she could hear from the receiver was the sound of a broken connection and her eyes narrowed. She growled quietly and hung up. The nurse behind the reception area moved back a little.

"Rude pack," she growled and started to move again to take care of Juvia as well.

Hours seemed to have passed while Gray was sitting here. He had refused any treatment and could not be forced. His senses were numb, and when he had agreed to wash his hands and face, he had been allowed to wait in front of the room where Juvia had been placed. She was connected to machines that controlled her heartbeat and breathing. Gray didn't even notice that his hands were still shaking and whenever he stared at his now clean hands, he could still see her blood on them.

Steps resounded, reverberating quietly on the linoleum floor. He swallowed lightly and cautiously raised his gaze, staring at the angry face of Natsu Dragneel, her brother. A thick lump formed in his throat and his hands began to tremble even more. Pain burned through his chest and he barely managed to breathe properly.

"**What**.happened?" his voice was full of suppressed anger as Natsu choked those words out. Gray took a trembling breath. She seemed so fragile as she lay in that big bed and his heart seemed to break. He had never wanted to hurt her so badly. He had only wanted her to stay away from him. Gray had tried to protect her from his father's hatred, had lied about his feelings and had pretended something to everyone. He had also wanted to fulfill his father's expectations, but something like that happened that he hadn't wanted.

"I-I-I ...J-Juv- ...s-she ..." he stuttered and his voice broke away. Uncryed tears were burning in his eyes and his whole body was tense as his hands dug into his dark hair and clung to it. He should have prevented this.

"I-I... I'm sorry," hot tears rolled down his cheeks and dripped to the floor, his body began to tremble. He didn't know what to say to make it better. Everything he did was wrong. Then someone grabbed him by the collar, he was pulled to his feet and pain raced through his chin. Someone then rammed him against the wall in his back. Natsu's normally dark green eyes looked deep black with rage as he pressed Gray against the wall.

"Yes, it's your fault because all you're doing is hurting her. It would be better if you didn't exist at all. And believe me, the only reason you're still alive is that Juvia loves you too much, asshole," he growled.

"Natsu", a soft voice reached both their ears and when Gray slowly released the gaze and looked in that direction, there was a girl standing there. She was incredibly beautiful. She had hip-length, golden blonde hair, chocolate brown big eyes over high, majestic cheekbones, framed by a dense fine eyelash wreath, a pale, honey-gold skin, a female figure others only dreamed of. Even the simple, pink strap dress didn't change anything and didn't like to hide her beauty. But in his eyes she could hardly take on Juvia. Not even now. She seemed to be radiant while standing in the electric ceiling light. Natsu let Gray go immediately and hurried to her side. His knees gave way and he let himself slide down the wall, his hands still trembled and then further steps sounded. Without looking up, he knew the Dragneel clan had arrived. Gray looked up and a doctor came down the aisle, holding a clipboard and a coffee in the other. He looked tired, but most doctors looked tired in that department. While sipping the coffee, he read the papers he had in his hand. He stopped at Juvia's room, looked up, blinked and stared at the many people for a moment. And then Igneel Dragneel stormed towards the poor doctor.

"WHAT IS WITH MY DAUGHTER?" he yelled and before the frightened doctor could escape, the Oyabun of the Dragneel clan grabbed him by the collar. He stood well over the man's head and it was easy for him to lift him up and shake him. Gray stared stunned at the scene. Anger seemed to come out of him in waves. Anger and concern for his daughter lying in that room. Unconscious and connected to machines. Gray again lowered his guilty gaze to the ground, pulling his legs to his upper body. He wanted to sit here until she woke up so he could ask her forgiveness. No matter whether it killed him or not.


End file.
